ã€ŠUniverse Infinite Canteenã€‹


 Chapter 1: 1 Charging

    "You''re telling me this thing can transport me to other universes?"

    Ma Lu examined the white egg in his hands closely, but he could find no difference from an ordinary chicken egg.

    It was roughly the same size and weight, with an equally shiny shell, and when touched, it felt slightly rough; under sunlight, one could even faintly see light shining through from the other side.

    "The Bug Egg can''t directly take you to other universes; it''s more like creating a projection of you over there," Old Wang exined. "Once the time limit is reached, the projection will disappear and if it suffers lethal damage, it''ll end your journey prematurely."

    "Sounds like logging into a game ount, that''s pretty safe. But what if this thing breaks? Can it still be used?"

    "The Bug Egg is one of the toughest materials in the Multiverse. There''s nothing in this universe that can damage it."

    "Really?" Ma Lu tapped the egg on the table. The shell dented the moment it touched the table but immediately popped back to its original shape and plumpness as soon as it was lifted.

    Ma Lu watched in amazement as Old Wang pulled out a few more things from beneath his blue windbreaker.

    There was an orange wristband, a small knife about thirty centimeters in length, a medium-sized stic bag, and a chip.

    ......

    Ma Lu had met Old Wang on the forty-second day after his graduation ceremony. That day he got up early from bed to attend a job interview.

    However, when he arrived at the interview venue, he found it inplete disarray.

    Angry investors and bewildered employees were chattering incessantly like sparrows on a telegraph pole.

    There were cries from the finance room like, "Why, why has this happened? Where did all the money go?!"

    Ma Lu stopped ady who was walking out with a monitor under one arm and two big bags of printing paper in the other. She looked at him warily until Ma Lu exined why he was there, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

    "Thepany''s gone. Early this morning, the boss suddenly dissolved the work group. Then his phone became unreachable. Nobody could contact him. Some say that bastard has fled the country, and before leaving, he swept away all the remaining money from the ounts.

    "There definitely won''t be anypensation, and the sry owed for the past two months will probably not be reimed. Everyone''s just managing to grab some things.

    "Since you''re here, don''t be shy, just grab something to cover your travel expenses. Anyway, all the valuable stuff is already picked over," thedy generously offered.

    Unable to refuse her hospitality, Ma Lu finally chose a Spider nt from a corner.

    Meanwhile, a middle-aged man looking like an investor burst from the finance room, his eyes red, shouting, "Put it down! Everyone, put it down!!! This ispany property! No one is allowed to touch it!!!"

    However, the moment he showed up, he was quickly surrounded by angry employees, and someone even grabbed his cor, demanding he repay them on behalf of the boss.

    The office became lively again in no time.

    Ma Lu left the office building carrying the Spider nt, whose leaves were a bit yellowed, nning to catch the subway.

    On his way, he passed through a small park where he saw a group of sixteen or seventeen-year-old teens huddled together, swearing and kicking at something.

    Ma Lu approached out of curiosity and saw a middle-aged, bald man curled up on the ground with his eyes closed.

    "What''s going on?"

    "He came over while we were ying basketball, trying to steal Hui Zi''s power bank," said a boy over one meter eighty, hugging a basketball, his tone vicious. "He definitely needs to be taught a lesson."

    "That''s right, we''ve had thefts at the court all week. We''ve finally caught someone. This guy is too audacious, daring to reach out right in front of us under broad daylight. He''s asking for a beating." Another person chimed in, punctuating his words with a couple more kicks to the man on the ground.

    But the bald man did not fight back, maintaining a strange, curled-up pose, hands sping his chest, while leaving his face exposed.

    "I feel like this must be a misunderstanding. I know this guy; he lives in the apartment below mine. He''s got a bit of a problem here," Ma Lu said, pointing to his own head.

    "For real? You''re not his aplice, are you?" The tall one eyed Ma Lu with suspicion.

    "Would a sane person wrap themselves in a storm jacket in thirty-eight-degree heat?" Ma Lu said as he fiddled with his shirt to let some air through.

    "A lot of us in the neighborhood know about him. He used to be a programmer, made some money during the best years of the inte boom, butter his parents died in a car ident.

    "After that, he not only lost all his earnings in the stock market but also ended up deep in debt. His wife ran off with someone else, and the child turned out not to be his. He couldn''t handle the blow and went mad. Now he lives only with his grandmother, who is over eighty, but she''s old and can''t keep an eye on him, so he sometimes escapes."

    "That''s terrible," Yi Mi Ba eximed in shock.

    The other youths stopped what they were doing and exchanged looks.

    Ma Lu shifted the flower pot to his other arm. "I''m not his aplice, I work just around the corner. Mars Technology, Floor 12, Building A, Universal za, ever heard of it?"

    The youths looked at each other, and Yi Mi Ba said, "That''s really bad luck. Let''s just forget it. It''s not worth it to make a fuss over a madman. Let''s go back to ying ball."

    Once they had gone far away, Ma Lu finally addressed the man on the ground, "Hey, are you alright?"

    The man opened his eyes and shook his head.

    "Do you remember where your home is, or do you have a rtive''s contact number? I can call them for you."

    "Thank you, my sector has sustained severe damage, and I''ve lost a lot of data," the man spoke in an odd manner.

    "Alright then," Ma Lu said without being too surprised.

    Although he had made up many stories with those youths, there was one thing he hadn''t lied about: the bald man in front of him was indeed not in his right mind. If Ma Lu hadn''t realized that, he would never have gotten involved in this matter.

    "Let''s go to the police station and see if the police can help you recover the data," Ma Lu continued, ying along with the man''s words.

    The man shook his head again, "ording to ''Multiverse Traveler''s Guide'' use One¡ªTravelers must ensure their identity is not revealed by civilizations outside of The Grand Alliance, I must immediately terminate thismunication."

    "But you''re in trouble," said Ma Lu. "If you don''t resolve this, you might just cause more trouble, and then it''ll be hard for you to go unnoticed, right?"

    The man seemed hesitant at his words and after a moment, he uttered two words, "Recharge."

    "Recharge?"

    "I need to recharge."

    "Oh, you mean your phone? No wonder you were trying to steal a power bank earlier; your phone is dead. Do you want to use mine for now?"

    Ma Lu handed over his own phone.

    The man took the phone but returned it after just a few seconds, "Not enough."

    "What do you mean not enough?" Ma Lu took back his phone and was surprised to find that it, which had 40 percent battery just moments ago, was nowpletely dead. The screen was pitch ck, unresponsive to any button pressed.

    "How strange, how did it suddenly die?" Ma Lu examined his phone and when he looked up again, he found that the man had already started walking towards a high voltage tower not far away.

    Ma Lu quickly grabbed the man''s storm jacket, "Don''t even think about it. Here''s an idea; I''ll take you somewhere where you can recharge. I need to charge my phone too."

    Five minutester, Ma Lu led the man into a small caf¨¦ on the street, ordered two of the cheapest lemonades, and then asked the waiter for a charger.

    Ma Lu ced the spider nt on the center of the table. Through the wide leaves of the spider nt, he saw three shiny metallic coils slither out from under Old Wang''s blue storm jacket.

    The metallic coils seemed alive, initially just peeking out furtively and scanning the caf¨¦ to make sure no one was looking their way. Then they twisted and wriggled under the table, finding the right opportunity to quickly slip into a wall socket in the corner.

    The next moment, the hanging lights on the caf¨¦''s ceiling started to flicker frantically, alternating between bright and dim.

    All the electronic devices in the shop also began to emit shrill beeping rm sounds, with error messages continuously popping up on the LCD screens, like aical yet crazy concert.

    This bizarre spectaclested for about a dozen seconds until a muffled pop came from the fuse box, and then the world returned to silence once more.

 Chapter 2: 2 Partnership

    In novels and animation, there''s often that plot where the protagonist suddenly encounters a mysterious beautiful girl one day, and after that, his peaceful life is shattered, thrusting him into a grand, turbulent adventure.

    Like Touma Kamijou in "A Certain Magical Index," or Tomoki Sakurai in "Heaven''s Lost Property."

    Ma Lu never imagined he''d find himself in such a situation one day.

    But what he encountered was not a beautiful girl, but a middle-aged, bald uncle in a windbreaker who imed he was a mechanical life form from another universe and had lost most of his data (memories).

    And since Ma Lu brought Old Wang home, two weeks had passed without him encountering any danger or being targeted by some weird organization, with the only real scare being the electricity bill.

    Ma Lu had already recharged nearly 3000 yuan into it, but now there was only less than 26 yuan left in the ount.

    Moreover, his job hunt was still not making any progress, and even next month''s rent was bing a problem.

    Ma Lu shifted his gaze to Old Wang, who was intently watching "Empresses in the Pce" at his side.

    "What is a eunuch?"

    "A eunuch is an author who doesn''t end his stories properly," Ma Lu turned off the TV. "You won''t understand modern society by watching pce dramas, and we''ve got more important things to worry about right now."

    "What''s more important?" Old Wang asked.

    "Making money."

    Ma Lu was concise, "Without money, I can''t continue to live here, and you can''t use the outlets at will, sleep on the couch in the living room, or enjoy the air conditioning while binge-watching shows."

    "That does sound important," Old Wang''s expression turned serious too.

    "Do you have any idea how to make money?" Ma Lu asked. "Like utilizing that, um, skill of yours. Speaking of which, do you actually have any skills?"

    Ever since Old Wang had shorted the caf¨¦''s insurance, he hadn''t disyed any special abilities. He had been cooped up in the rental apartment day and night binge-watching shows, a perfect couch potato.

    If it weren''t for him helping with cleaning, Ma Lu would''ve considered throwing him back out onto the street.

    "I can cook," dered Old Wang.

    This answer disappointed Ma Lu a bit. As a guest from a different dimension, he was expected to have skills more impressive than cooking; after all, household helpers could cook and clean too.

    "I can cook all the foods listed in the ''Multiverse Ingredients Compendium.'' We can open a restaurant to make money. Based on my observations over this period, I''ve found that there are very few delicacies in this universe, which makes it perfect for opening a restaurant."

    Old Wang''s follow-up caught Ma Lu''s interest afresh, "So, you''re a chef?"

    "I don''t know. I''ve lost many sectors, but the only intact and most important Sector 7 contains 79% data rted to cooking, so your inference is likely correct."

    Ma Lu stroked his chin, "But opening a restaurant requires quite a bit of startup capital. Even a roadside dive needs an initial investment we can''t afford right now."

    "Oh right, if we''re going to open a restaurant, I have one request."

    Old Wang seemed to remember something and pulled open his blue windbreaker. Ma Lu again saw those three metallic wires entwining an egg and cing it on the coffee table.

    "This Bug Egg can take people to different dimensions in the multiverse. I''d like to entrust you to collect ingredients for me there."

    ......

    In September, the temperatures in City B remained stubbornly high, with the incessant chirping of cicadas showing no sign of weakening.

    Ma Lu handed Old Wang the freshly passion-drafted partnership agreement that he had downloaded from the inte ten minutes earlier. It still had some uses that needed to be deleted, such as the part about Party A investing to buy forty sows.

    But the core parts about equity, dividends, and exit mechanisms had already been outlined.

    However, after reading the agreement, Old Wang said, "I don''t need equity or dividends, as long as you allow me to continue sleeping on your couch, charging, and watching TV."

    "Really, you sure about that?" Ma Lu was a bit surprised.

    Old Wang nodded, "We silicon-based life forms don''t have as many desires and needs as you carbon-based life forms. As long as our basic living conditions are met, currency holds no value to us."

    "But your sudden nobility makes me seem rather petty." Ma Lu thought for a moment and simply tore up the partnership agreement.

    "Forget it, this thing probably won''t have any real binding power over you anyway, let''s not worry about the distant future and just focus on making next month''s rent first,"

    Old Wang was somewhat puzzled, "Have you really decided to open a restaurant? But didn''t you say you don''t have the startup capital?"

    "No worries, how could such a small matter possibly trouble me? Give me half an hour," said Ma Lu, pping Old Wang''s shoulder with full confidence.

    And indeed, it took less than twenty minutes before Ma Lu called Old Wang downstairs.

    In front of him, on an empty space, was an electric tricycle about 1.3m in length, with a canopy fitted on top. The canopy was surrounded by light boxes, which disyed five big characters¡ªScooped Sauce Seafood Delight.

    Below, the body of the tricycle was also covered in advertisements, with a tagline upfront¡ª"A serving of Scooped Sauce Seafood Delight, a blissful life like that of immortals."

    "What do you think, are you satisfied with our soon-to-be-open new shop?" Ma Lu asked.

    "But where''s my kitchen?" Old Wang asked, puzzled.

    Ma Lu patted the nickel-ted, rust-proof steel te mounted on the side of the tricycle, "When the timees, you''ll cook right here, an open kitchen, so customers can eat with peace of mind."

    "If the kitchen already takes up most of the space, where will customers dine?"

    "On the street, the whole street is our lobby, they can eat wherever they like, emphasizing freedom."

    "What about waiters?"

    "I''ll do it," dered Ma Lu, rolling up his sleeves, "I''ve worked part-time as a tutor in college, it''s all service industry, shouldn''t be too different."

    "But..."

    "No ''buts'' now. Never seen a street vendor before, never eaten at a roadside stall, what''s with all these dumb questions?" An impatient little chubby guy wearing a giant T-shirt cut off Old Wang.

    "And waiters? Do you want me to open a bottle of ''82 wine for you to sip with your snails too? God, I hate posers the most. If you''re not buying, don''t waste my time; I need to go back and y King of Glory."

    "Don''t rush, Little Brother Yang, my friend here is fresh out of the mountains, just got to the city, knows nothing, don''t take his words to heart," Ma Lu grabbed the little chubby guy who was about to head back upstairs, "We''ll take your tricycle, name your price."

    The little guy''s face improved a bit upon hearing this, looking Old Wang up and down, "Came out of the mountains, huh? Not a programmer looking for a second career? Hmph, fine, I''ll give you a discount, 2500 yuan and the tricycle is yours."

    "Can we make it any cheaper?" Ma Lu said, walking aside with his arm around the little chubby guy''s shoulder.

    "It''s already super cheap. The tricycle alone cost me 3600 when I bought it, then I spent another 800 fitting the canopy and brackets, not to mention the PVC boards cost money too. I''ve shed the price to 2500, that''s very sincere."

    "I know, but how many people in City B can live in the same building by chance? For the sake of this fate, can''t you cut your brother here a little more ck?" Ma Lu deployed his bargaining skills.

    "A deal is a deal. I''ve hardly used this tricycle, it''s practically new, selling it to you for 2500 is already a steal," countered the little guy warily, "Otherwise, I might as well sell it to someone else."

    "But I heard that your tricycle''s been sitting in your yard for several months now, doesn''t seem that easy to sell, and your dad has scolded you plenty over it..."

    In a lowered voice, Ma Lu continued, "Justst week I overheard you guys arguing again. Little Brother Yang, don''t say I didn''t advise you, hanging on to this thing is just a curse, better to offload it sooner rather thanter."

    The little guy''s expression soured as he heard this; he was a native of City B with seven apartments to his name, so he could have livedfortably without doing anything until the end of his days. That led to ack of drive since childhood; he didn''t study hard and ended up only getting into a third-rate university.

    After graduation, he stayed at home ying video games, watching anime, and building models. His father couldn''t stand it and forced him to set up a street stall, but he onlysted two days before quitting due to the hard work. The newly bought tricycle was then left abandoned in the yard.

    And every time his father caught sight of that tricycle, his anger shot up, leading to constant spats between father and son.

    The little guy knew Ma Lu had a point and had been wanting to sell the tricycle, so he grit his teeth and said, "2100, I can''t go any lower."

    "1666, let''s make it lucky," suggested Ma Lu.

    The little guy stared at Ma Lu for a full half minute before finally speaking in a hoarse voice, "Why not 1888 for luck?"

    "That works too, thank you, Little Brother Yang. Let''s settle on that," Ma Lu shook the little guy''s hand, offering his thanks, "I''ll pay you in three installments."

    "You''re not buying a luxury car, even for a tricycle you want to do installments?!" the little chubby guy eximed wide-eyed.

    Seeing the deal might fall through, Ma Lu quickly sweetened the offer, "Additionally, you can store your figurines at my ce, that way you won''t have to worry about your dad smashing them."

 Chapter 3: 3 Bug Egg

    With 629 yuan, Ma Lu ced another order on Pinduoduo for 10,000 stic bags, totaling 59 yuan and 40 cents. This boils down to an average cost of less than 0.6 cents per bag.

    He then spent another 115 yuan to rent a gas cylinder, with a deposit of 100 yuan. As for the rest, he needed to decide what to sell before he could make further purchases.

    More precisely, it depended on what ingredients Ma Lu could acquire from the other side.

    Regarding this, Ma Lu already had some preliminary targets andter consulted Old Wang about some matters rted to Bug Eggs and traversing dimensions.

    Old Wang had lost arge amount of data due to sector damage, but even so, he still provided some useful information.

    Ma Lu got some paper and a pen and summarized the information into seven rules.

    1. Bug Eggs require charging and have a cooldown period, they can only be used once a week.

    2. Once a dimension has been visited, it can be visited repeatedly, essentially establishing a flight path. Currently, the Bug Egg can only open one such path.

    3. The maximum duration of each stay in a Different Dimension is 12 hours and will not exceed that. A fatal injury may end the visit prematurely.

    4. In principle, users cannot carry items from their own dimension to a Different Dimension and vice versa, but the four items provided by Old Wang are not subject to this restriction.

    5. Ingredients stored in the [Collection Bag] can be brought back to the original dimension. The [Collection Bag] can only store ingredients and if the user dies, ingredients in the [Collection Bag] cannot be brought back.

    6. Death does not result in the loss of the four items provided by Old Wang.

    7. Maintain a good mood.

    After writing this, Ma Lu looked at the paper again and felt that the conclusions were quite clear.

    This was a typical time management game. In simple terms, it was a type of game that involved allocating limited time efficiently to maximize output.

    The college entrance examination is an example of this. In this game, each examinee needs to make decisions, allocating three years to different subjects, aiming to achieve the best results in the final exam.

    Ma Lu actually quite liked time management games, although he used to get sleepy as soon as he hit the books and only attended an ordinary university after graduating high school.

    However, he had his strong points: good at socializing, excellent reflexes and adaptability to environments, and flexible in dealing with situations. Especially thest point was evident from his bold decision to bring Old Wang home.

    So, in a sense, he was indeed quite suited for the job of ingredient collection.

    After summarizing, Ma Lu noticed that the Bug Egg on the other side had alsopleted charging.

    But he didn''t rush to set out. He first ordered takeout to fill his stomach and then slept for two hours to ensure that both his body and mind were in their best state. Only then did he sit cross-legged on the sofa under Old Wang''s guidance.

    He closed his eyes and ced the white egg above his head, trying to enter a focused state of meditation.

    "Eggs span the universe, free flow of eggs!"

    As Ma Lu discarded all distractions and uttered this phrase, he felt the egg above his head seemed to throb, as if responding to him.

    In his mind, which had been empty, suddenly thousands of eggs appeared¡ªchicken eggs, duck eggs, quail eggs, as well as snake eggs, ostrich eggs, dinosaur eggs...

    Besides these eggs, which Ma Lu could name, there were many he had never seen before, such as transparent eggs, glowing eggs, and giant eggs floating in space likes.

    These familiar and unfamiliar eggs gathered together, forming a magnificent tapestry of eggs that began to slowly rotate around the white chicken egg above his head.

    However, before Ma Lu could truly appreciate it, one of the connecting lines lit up.

    The next instant, Ma Lu felt light as if something was pulling him, whisking him rapidly towards the other end of the light path until he collided head-on with a scaly egg.

    Immediately, a wave of heat hit him in the face. Opening his eyes, Ma Lu realized he was now sitting in a desert.

    Wherever he looked, there was gravel, reminiscent of a vast, dim sea of yellow, with the undting dunes like the waves of the sea.

    After making sure there were no dangers nearby, Ma Lu looked down to check his body.

    Although ording to the rules, he couldn''t bring anything other than the four pieces of equipment provided by Old Wang to this dimension, the Bug Egg had left him with a bit of dignity, bestowing him with the most ordinary set of clothes so that he wasn''t bare-bottomed.

    This outfit looked even more basic than Uniqlo''s simplest design, with no patterns or designs, one color from head to toe.

    That would have been fine, but the clothing was ck, which is excellent at absorbing heat, and wearing it made Ma Lu feel like he was in an oven.

    When he looked up, to his surprise, there were two suns hanging in the sky.

    The red and yellow suns seemed to remind Ma Lu that he was no longer on Earth.

    At the same time, a countdown appeared on the orange bracelet on his right wrist.

    As Ma Lu''s gaze shifted to the bracelet, the numbers jumped from 11:59 to 11:58, and he knew that when the countdown reached zero, his journey in this different dimension would alsoe to an end.

    In reality, the [Traveler''s Bracelet] had more uses than just this one; it also had built-in functions like a trantor, thermometer, spirit level, among various other odd features, and Old Wang had pre-stored the entire "Multiverse Ingredients Compendium" in it.

    After initiating the detection mode, the [Traveler''s Bracelet] could scan a circr area with a radius of twenty meters to locate potential ingredients.

    Thinking of this, Ma Lu casually scanned the area, but the bracelet disyed [No Target Object Found].

    Ma Lu wasn''t surprised by this result, as this ce looked barren except for sand¡ªno nts, no water sources, filled with monotony and deathly silence.

    It was hard to imagine that such a harsh natural environment could nurture any decent ingredients.

    Off to a bad start, Ma Lu scratched his head.

    Beyond the difficulty of finding ingredients, the survival issues he now faced were also severe.

    The two suns above were no joke; the [Traveler''s Bracelet] showed that the environmental temperature around him had reached 46.5¡ãC, and within just a few minutes, Ma Lu''s exposed skin was already prickling.

    If he didn''t quickly find a ce to take shelter from the heat, Ma Lu reckoned he wouldn''tst until the countdown finished.

    However, as he looked around, all he could see were sand dunes extending in every direction, and the hot wind continuously blew sand into his nose and mouth.

    What he initially thought would be a sightseeing trip to an alternate world had turned into a wilderness survival challenge, leaving Ma Lu somewhat helpless. Although dying wouldn''t be a loss, he wouldn''t be able to use the Bug Egg again for six days, and being dehydrated by two suns certainly wasn''t on his wish list.

    Ma Lu decided to climb the nearby dune to get a better view, hoping he might see something that wasn''t visible from below.

    But before he could even begin to move, he made a new discovery: a dune in the distance seemed to be moving.

 Chapter 4: 4 29

    At first, Ma Lu thought he was seeing things, or perhaps he had encountered a mirage, but as the sand dune drew closer, its outline became increasingly clear, stirring up billowing dust¡ªit was obviously no illusion.

    This rare and astonishing sight made Ma Lu marvel and he couldn''t help but stop to watch it closely. However, as he watched, his expression gradually changed.

    Because he noticed that the direction the sand dune was moving in seemed to be right toward him.

    This gave Ma Lu a bad feeling.

    Without hesitation, he immediately started running towards the side of the sand dune, channeling the form he used when running the 1000 meters in college, shooting off like an arrow.

    Just as he was about to run out of the sand dune''s path, thetter picked up speed and, taking a turn, closed in on him again.

    Ma Lu was forced to change direction once more, but then the same scene yed out again¡ªthe dune was still doggedly following him.

    By now, Ma Lu was certain that the sand dune was targeting him, and the likelihood was that it bore no good intent.

    The distance between them kept shrinking in this cat-and-mouse chase, leaving less than a hundred meters.

    Seeing that there was no escape, Ma Lu gritted his teeth and came to a stop, standing his ground right there.

    He then reached into his pocket with his right hand and quickly pulled out a chip.

    Unlike ordinary casino chips, the back of this chip featured a mysterious eye that was half open and half closed, while the spot where the denomination should have been was nk.

    Ma Lu ced the chip horizontally between the first and second joints of his index finger, his thumb slightly bent, then briskly stroked it across the pad of his index finger, flicking the chip upward.

    Apanied by a buzzing sound, the nk chip shot straight into the air, tumbling end over end as it soared up to its zenith.

    It paused for a moment at the high point, then elerated in its descent.

    Timing it perfectly, Ma Lu stretched out his right hand as it fell to chest level and pped the chip onto the back of his left hand.

    When he lifted his palm, the previously nk area now bore a number.

    ¡ª29

    Huh? Ma Lu felt his own body but didn''t sense any changes, and a nce around revealed that everything was the same as before.

    When Old Wang had given him the chip, he said it was called [Destiny''s Aegis], one of the most powerful divine artifacts in the multiverse that could have an unexpected effect at a crucial moment.

    However, Old Wang couldn''t remember what its specific function was.

    Now, with Ma Lu backed into a corner by the pursuing sand dune, he could only pin his hopes on this divine artifact.

    Yet, aside from a number with unclear meaning, he had gained nothing.

    At the same time, the sand dune had already arrived in front of him.

    Because there were two suns in the sky, Ma Lu wasn''t engulfed by the massive shadow it cast, but even a cursory estimate made it clear how huge the sand dune was.

    It stood nearly thirty meters tall and spanned over a hundred meters across.

    But just as the sand dune was about to hit Ma Lu, it stopped in its tracks and began to "tremble," with countless grains of sand rolling down its ridge and the dust raised nearly obscuring the sky.

    The true form beneath the sand dune finally revealed itself: arge and ugly head, somewhat reminiscent of a toadfish but sorrier in appearance.

    The enormous mouth below took up almost two-thirds of the head, and as it opened, Ma Lu saw teeth inside.

    Compared to its gigantic mouth, those teeth were quite diminutive, each being less than half a meter long, but what theycked in size, they made up for in number, amounting to nearly a thousand.

    To avoid being pierced like a sieve, Ma Lu was considering whether to use the Chef''s Knife in his hand to end it all beforehand.

    Just then, a series of beeping sounds buzzed in his ears, and Ma Lu thought that [Destiny''s Aegis] had finallye online, but when he looked down, he saw that the [Traveler''s Bracelet] had timely popped up a notification.

    ¡ª¡ªDing! Congrattions on discovering a 3-star ingredient, [Thousand-Tooth Sand Grouper], [Thousand-Tooth Sand Grouper] entry has been unlocked.

    ???

    Ma Lu was stunned for half a second before he remembered that the detection mode had been activated sincest time and hadn''t been turned off, and now it was alerting him again.

    He couldn''t see the humor in this little device;pared to the behemoth opposite him, he was clearly the one closer to being an ingredient.

    That creature, known as the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream, seemed to share this view and was ready to start its meal.

    But in the next moment, a mechanical spear enveloped in electric light took the lead and flew into its massive mouth.

    Ma Lu turned his head and saw a strangely designed motorcycle speeding down from the neighboring dune.

    This motorcycle was at least twice as big as a regr one in size, longer in body, with an iron shell covered in strange pits and patches of repair marks, looking as though it could fall apart at any moment.

    But the most eye-catching part was beneath the vehicle''s body; instead of wheels, it had a full track, a modification that made this motorcycle more suited for traversing sand.

    The rider taming this steel beast wasn''t even 1.7 meters tall, wrapped up tight all over, with even his face covered in a scarf and his eyes shielded behind ck goggles. As he approached, he shouted to Ma Lu in a husky voice.

    "What are you doing standing there like an idiot? Run, I''ll draw its attention!"

    "Which way?"

    Ma Lu''s question caused the rider to pause, "Where''s your motorcycle?"

    But without waiting for Ma Lu to answer, he continued, "Get on! The Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream is too big, the electric spear can only distract it, it won''t have a paralyzing effect."

    As if proving his point, the lips of the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream, zapped by the electricity, became not sluggish but even more irate, swinging its entire head over.

    The motorcycle rider didn''t apply the brakes but instead twisted the throttle to the max, speeding past Ma Lu''s body.

    Ma Lu took the cue, attempted a suave leap to the side, and then¡­ missedpletely.

    Fortunately, at the critical moment, the motorcycle rider freed one hand and timely grabbed Ma Lu''s cor, hoisting him into the air.

    The motorcycle''s engine output reached its peak in that instant, carrying the two of them away from certain doom at thest second.

    The head of the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream crashed into the sand with a massive thud, while a sand rain also started to fall from the sky.

    This actually created an excellent opportunity for their escape; however, after covering some distance, the motorcycle reduced its speed and the rider kept looking back.

    By this time, Ma Lu was seated properly in the back, one arm around the shorter rider, his other hand covering his mouth and nose. Seeing the motorcycle slowing down, he asked in confusion.

    "Why aren''t we moving?"

    The short rider didn''t reply but simply brought the motorcycle to a stop.

    Then Ma Lu saw six more motorcycles appear one after another on the nearby dunes, rapidly closing in on them.

    "Don''t say anything when theye," the short rider instructed.

 Chapter 5: 5: The Little Hound

    ```

    The six motorcycles approached quickly but didn''t stop when they passed by the two of them, instead continuing toward the nearby sandstorm.

    As they neared the edge of the sandstorm, one of the riders jumped off his bike, murmured something under his breath, and then crossed his hands, making a tearing motion.

    The next moment, he had forcibly torn open a gap in the middle of the swirling sandstorm. The other five motorcycles took advantage of the opening and charged in, but it wasn''t long before they retreated back out and regrouped on this side.

    The leader tore the face cloth away, revealing a weather-beaten square face, "Look at the mess you''ve made, that thing has already burrowed back underground and run away."

    "Thousand-Tooth Sand Breams might be big, but they''re also cowards. It took us two weeks to find it, and now who knows where it''s slipped off to," grumbled another rider with a Mohawk.

    "If my father were here, he would have made the same choice," the short rider retorted.

    "I''m not talking about you saving someone," the square-faced middle-aged man shook his head, "Do you remember what I tasked you with?"

    "To scout and keep watch."

    "Exactly, to scout and keep watch," the square-faced middle-aged man pointed at Ma Lu, "You should have detected him earlier. That way he wouldn''t have been in danger, and the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream wouldn''t have been attracted to him, causing us to miss the trap we''d set up on the other side."

    "Um... Can I interject for a moment?"

    Having heard this, Ma Lu roughly understood what had happened. These people hade here to hunt the creature that had just appeared. His arrival in this dimension coincided with their hunting n, which ended in failure, and now there were disagreements within their group.

    However, before he could help clear the misunderstanding, both men simultaneously said, "Shut up, this has nothing to do with you."

    "Alright then." Ma Lu could only continue to keep quiet.

    The short rider red into the eyes of the square-faced middle-aged man. A momentter, he ripped off the copper brooch pinned to his left chest and threw it on the ground.

    The square-faced middle-aged man frowned, "Don''t do anything stupid."

    "I''ll only ever do stupid things in your eyes, what does one more matter?" the short rider said coldly, "I dere my departure from the Harpist Hunting Group."

    Upon his deration, the Mohawk-hairediner and the other three members actually started to persuade him to reconsider, while the young rider who had opened the path through the sandstorm remained motionless.

    The square-faced middle-aged man''s frown deepened, "Do you think this is what your father would have wanted to see?"

    "I don''t know, but it must be what you''ve been looking forward to all along," he retorted.

    After uttering his spiteful remark, the short rider didn''t wait for reactions from others and simply climbed onto his motorcycle.

    He rode off less than two hundred meters before turning back around.

    Seeing him return, the square-faced middle-aged man''s tight brow rxed as he bent down to pick up the brooch the short rider had discarded.

    But thetter didn''t nce at him and instead addressed Ma Lu, who was crouching nearby.

    "Hey, man in ck, didn''t you lose your motorcycle? I''m heading back to the city now; do you want toe with me?"

    "Mhm mhm mhm."

    Ma Lu quickly responded, pulling the head off of a red lizard the size of a thumb he was holding, and tossed the rest into a stic bag he was carrying before climbing onto the back of the short rider''s motorcycle.

    Whether the lizard was edible or not, Ma Lu didn''t have an answer. But during the quarrel, [Traveler''s Bracelet] had popped up a new notification.

    It had scanned a 1-star ingredient, [Young me Lizard]. Since Ma Lu had some time, he looked around and actually managed to find it.

    The Young me Lizard resembled the leopard geckos on Earth with even more vivid patterns and tiny sparksing from its mouth, like a faulty lighter without gas, awkwardly adorable at first nce.

    ```

    Ma Lu also felt a twinge ofpassion, and he estimated that this little creature had a rather low yield of meat, which made him consider letting it go.

    But it turned out that the Young me Lizard wasn''t big in size, yet it had quite a temper. All Ma Lu did was pick it up to take a look, but even after being put down, it refused to leave. Instead, it kept circling around Ma Lu and persistently attacked his shoes.

    So, in the end, Ma Lu decided to ept this gift from the different dimension.

    As for why he had to behead it, it was because living creatures were not allowed in the [Collection Bag].

    Ma Lu surreptitiously wiped the blood from his hands under the seat, while the short-statured rider drove silently ahead. For a long time, neither of them spoke.

    Eventually, it was the short-statured rider who couldn''t stand the silence and muttered, "Why aren''t you talking? Do you also think I''m too willful?"

    "Ah?"

    The recent ruthless killing of the Young me Lizard had led Ma Lu to a new discovery, and he was now focused on studying this new situation. He only came back to his senses when the short-statured rider spoke up.

    "I think it''s alright. When ites to work, if you''re not happy in one ce, there''s no need to force yourself to stay. Changing environments isn''t bad, provided you can find another position," Ma Lu said.

    "That''s a rather novel idea," the short-statured rider sighed. "I had never thought I would one day leave the Harpist. My father built the Hunting Group from scratch, and a yearter, I came into this world.

    "You could say that I grew up with the Harpist. It holds many memories of my father and me. On his deathbed, I promised to carry on his legacy and continue the Harpist''s glory, but now... the Harpist has nothing to do with me anymore."

    The rider''s voice carried a hint of mncholy.

    "So, what are your ns now?" Ma Lu asked.

    "I don''t know," the rider said, "I n to go for a drink once we''re back in the city. If you''re not busy, you can join me¡ªI''ll buy."

    This wasn''t to say that Ma Lu was particrly charming; rather, the events of the day had greatly impacted the short-statured rider, who desperately needed someone to confide in, and strangers naturally had an advantage in this regard.

    Ma Lu understood this and, coincidentally, he also had many questions he needed to rify, including but not limited to the monster he had encountered in the sand earlier, the sandstorm that had been violently torn open, and the Hunting Group the rider had mentioned. Not to mention, there was also the bonus of free drinks from the Different Dimension.

    Therefore, Ma Lu readily agreed.

    One and a half hourster, the two arrived on the outskirts of the city the rider had called the Giant Curtain.

    From a distance, Ma Lu could see the outline of the city, which resembled an erged version of the Tokyo Dome.

    ording to what the short-statured rider had told him on the road, the cities here were different from those on Earth, mostly semi-subterranean with both above-ground and underground levels, some even more than one.

    Take the Giant Curtain, for example; there are two levels underground, and in addition to that, there is a canopy overhead. The canopy not only protects against sand and intense light but also has sr panels with adjustable angles for collecting light energy which is then transformed into electrical energy and stored.

    The electricity consumed by the motorcycle they were riding, for instance, came from there.

    Not long after entering the city, Ma Lu witnessed the sr panels fully close, turning the city from day to night.

    This is constantly under direct sunlight due to two suns in the sky, and the inhabitants can only artificially create darkness in this manner.

    However, it has to be said, when the neon lights of the city came to life, there was indeed a sense of night descending.

    The short-statured rider parked his motorcycle outside a small bar, then removed the goggles from his face along with the wrapped scarf, revealing a somewhat youthful face.

    The constant exposure to sunlight and wind had turned his skin a light tan, a bit roughpared to his peers. His hair and eyebrows were full of sand, giving him the true appearance of being covered in dust and dirt.

    Yet, despite this, it was apparent he had a decent foundation. Aside from the straight eyes that looked somewhat fierce, the lines of his other facial features were gentle. It was only the constantly pursed lips that gave off the impression he was always on guard.

    Like a small hunting hound ready to pounce at any moment; but nowadays, this type of young man was more likely to capture the hearts of older sisters.

 Chapter 6: 6 Boggy

    The petite rider had barely stepped into the bar when a waitress wrapped him in a bear hug, "Ah yah yah, Hong, look who''s here."

    The waitress named Hong, leaning against the bar and smoking a cigarette, immediately brightened upon seeing the petite rider''szy eyes, "Boggy, you''re more and more like your father."

    After finishing, she turned her attention to Ma Lu beside him, "You''ve even made a new friend, a fresh face. Is this your first time at the Little Bear Bar?"

    Boggy struggled to extract his slightly deformed face from the waitress''s ample bosom, his cheeks and neck quickly blushing red as he protested.

    "I''m a customer, Faya, Hong, you should show me some respect."

    "Yes, yes, yes, so what would our esteemed customers like to order?"

    "Start with two Bubble Drinks, and¡ªum¡ªadd a pan-fried sand bream."

    Boggy picked a table by the window to sit down, and it wasn''t long before Faya came over with tworge sses.

    "Here are your Bubble Drinks." The waitress leaned in close to the little boy, her bending over providing Boggy with a sweeping view of her chest, and Faya winked yfully at him, "Please, enjoy~"

    "Boring." The little boy was unmoved.

    Meanwhile, Ma Lu couldn''t wait to start drinking.

    He had been badly sunburnt in the desert and was already parched. Although he was no longer roasted by two suns after entering Giant Curtain, the temperature around him still showed a high 37¡ãC on his [Traveler''s Bracelet].

    It wasn''t until he''d downed most of the icy drink that Ma Lu felt revived, followed by a soft sound of surprise.

    There was no doubt the liquid in the ss, tinged with a faint gold hue, contained alcohol, but it probably wasn''t brewed from the grains or fruits Ma Lu was familiar with.

    The drink had a sour and distinctly bitter taste, with an odd vor he couldn''t quite ce. Its texture was simr to a homemade milk wine by herdsmen, not something the average person could enjoy.

    But the mysterious little beads floating on top changed everything.

    At first, Ma Lu thought the translucent little orbs were popping bobamonly found in milk tea, but upon closer inspection, he found that they seemed to be more than inanimate objects.

    They were moving within the ss, just very slowly, their movement obscured by the sway of the ss itself.

    Only when they slid into his mouth along with the drink did these mysterious little orbs melt and burst with sweet juice.

    This sweet juice not only neutralized the sour taste of the drink but also blended the bitterness and strange vor into a new taste simr to bitter liqueur.

    Seeing Ma Lu''s surprised expression, Faya covered her mouth and giggled, "Boggy, your friend here is quite interesting. Could it be his first time drinking?"

    "I''ve had alcohol before, but never anything as marvelous as this," Ma Lu said earnestly.

    "What''s so marvelous? Bubble Drink is the mostmon drink. Every bar in the city sells it," said Boggy.

    "Come to think of it, Captain Li seems to like Bubble Drink too. He orders it every time hees, and I don''t recall him drinking anything else," the waitress reminisced.

    "On the day when the Harpist was promoted to the Diamond Hunting Group, Captain Li threw a celebratory feast and bought out all the Bubble Drink in the bar. Everyone gotpletely smashed then, even the boss climbed on top of the bar to perform a bear dance. Ah, those were the days..."

    "Alright," Hong snuffed out her cigarette, interrupting Faya, "give the poor kid a break, will you? Stop nattering on like an olddy."

    "Ha, who are you calling an olddy?"

    Just then, new customers walked through the door, and Faya, still muttering to herself, ran off to tend to them.

    Boggy freed himself from the harassment, rested his chin on his hand, and gazed out the window. The neon lights outside reflected his profile onto the bar''s ss, casting a solitary shadow.

    He stretched out a hand and casually drew a sand dune on the dirty ss.

    However, as he was drawing, a movement caught in the corner of his eye caused him to pause¡ªhe noticed Ma Lu.

    "What are you doing?"

    "Trying to see if I can package them."

    Ma Lu scooped the small, spherical objects from the ss into a stic bag with a spoon.

    Boggy was somewhat speechless, "Give it up, the Honey Lizard onlyys its eggs in ces below 23 degrees. Once it goes over this temperature, those eggs will melt immediately. Where exactly are you from that you don''t even know such basic knowledge?"

    "Hm, I indeed just arrived here recently. There''s still a lot for me to learn."

    Ma Lu tried scooping twice more, only to find it impossible to stuff them into the stic bag, as an invisible force repelled his hand every time it neared the opening of the bag.

    It seemed that this [Collection Bag] could only store unprocessed ingredients.

    So Ma Lu put down the spoon and approached Boggy again, poking the young boy''s shoulder, "Since there''s nothing much to do, tell me more about the Giant Curtain and Hunting Groups."

    Boggy took a small sip of bubbling wine, and the blush that had just faded from his neck crept back up.

    "The Giant Curtain is located in the desert. Due to thend and high temperatures, it''s difficult for nts to grow here. Fortunately, beneath the endless sands, many creatures live, so most of the city''s foodes from hunting. Hunting Groups are small teams that hunters from the city form on their own to go out and hunt."

    "Are there different levels of Hunting Groups? What level is the ''Diamond'' you mentioned just now?" Ma Lu continued to inquire.

    "Very strong. Currently, only four Hunting Groups in Giant Curtain City have sessfully advanced to Diamond level."

    "Ah, so the Harpist is quite formidable. Captain Li, he''s your father, right? Where is he now?"

    "He''s dead," said Boggy expressionlessly, "about three years ago they went hunting Golden Leopards and an ident happened. My father died, along with most of the members of our Hunting Group."

    "So you took over the Harpist Hunting Group after that? But you don''t seem to be the captain."

    "That''s because I was still in school at that time, so I entrusted Uncle Guli to temporarily manage the Harpist for me."

    "Guli, oh, the guy with the square face we met earlier, right? You seem to have quite a few conflicts with him."

    Boggy took another drink and, uncharacteristically admitting, "It''s my fault. Over these three years, Uncle Guli has really helped to support the Harpist. I''m fully aware of his hardship. The root of the conflicts between us is that I am too weak to keep up with the rest."

    As he said this, his grip on the wine ss tightened, whitening his knuckles.

    "You? Weak?" Ma Lu was surprised, "You lifted me off the ground and onto the car with just one hand."

    "Strength, speed, stamina, reflexes, those basic physical qualities are of course important, but for a hunter, the most important is Telekinesis."

    "Telekinesis?" Ma Lu raised his eyebrows, "Earlier I saw someone seemingly tear through a dust storm with his bare hands, is that application of Telekinesis?"

    "Correct, he possesses a rare wind-based Telekic power¡ªWind Control. Moreover, he''s young with unlimited potential. Uncle Guli wants to train him to be the vice-captain of the Harpist."

    "What''s your Psychic Power?"

 Chapter 7: 7 Telekinesis and Talent

    Boggy hesitated, but still extended his left hand, spread his fingers toward Ma Lu''s ss, and uttered a series of clumsy and awkward strange sybles.

    The next moment, the remaining liquid in the ss seemed to be scooped up by an invisible hand, floating in mid-air, and condensed into a miniature round shield.

    Ma Lu poked at it with a fork and easily pierced through it without much effort.

    "That''s it?"

    "That''s it." Boggy seemed deted as well, retracting his hand and letting the wine fall back into the ss before picking up his own and taking a couple of fierce gulps.

    "Water-Series Psychic Power is indeed a bit troublesome in the desert environment, you might want to consider trying a different setting, like the seaside," Ma Lu suggested.

    "The sea? What is that? I''ve never left this desert since I was born, and no one has left this desert. You''re the only outsider I''ve ever met, and I won''t leave the Giant Curtain. My mother is still here, and so is the Harpist... although I''m no longer one of them now," Boggy said forlornly.

    "Is that so, then we''ll have to think of something else."

    "Don''t bother; once a person''s Psychic Power is awakened, it gets eternally fixed and can never be changed."

    "What I''m talking about isn''t changing your Psychic Power, but there are a few things I still don''t understand that need more experimenting," Ma Lu said.

    "Experiment, experiment with what?"

    Ma Lu hadn''t had the chance to respond when a voice came from behind.

    "Yo, isn''t that the honor student? I heard you guys went hunting the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream outside the city more than ten days ago. How was it, surely you''ve returned loaded?"

    The door of the Little Bear Bar had just been pushed open from the outside, and this time seven people strode in at once, all from the same Hunting Group as could be seen from the style of their badges.

    One of them, a young man d in a leather jacket and carrying a pitch-ck katana, walked straight over to where Boggy was sitting.

    "Back off, Yong Mu," Boggy warned.

    Yet the young man called Yong Mu did not leave; instead, he plunked himself down beside the littled.

    "Don''t be so heartless, we''re ssmates," Yong Mu said while draping his arm over Boggy''s shoulder, "It''s rare to bump into each other in a bar, why not take this opportunity to see who can hold their liquor better?"

    Hispanions looked on, chuckling, and with the mention, they all hooted in encouragement.

    Boggy shook his head, "I used to think you were just deaf, but now I see you''re blind, too."

    Yong Mu followed Boggy''s gaze and realized that the table knife had disappeared at some point, feeling a sudden chill between his legs.

    Yong Mu held up his hands, "I just came to greet an old ssmate; no need to make such a big fuss. Since you don''t wee me, I''ll leave right away."

    However, he added in a lowered voice before leaving.

    "By the way, I''ve got some information you might be interested in. Aspensation for interrupting you, I''ll give it to you for free. That newbie in your Hunting Group named Chi Qi, he seems to have been in touch privately with the leaders of several major Hunting Groupsst month."

    Boggy was startled, "Really? Why?"

    "Who knows? I heard he wants to partner with more powerful Hunters to earn more, which is pretty normal, you know? Especially since you''re aware of the Harpist''s current situation, your catches fromst month, and the month before that haven''t been very good¡­"

    "Although the Harpist used to be one of the Giant Curtain''s top three Hunting Groups, that was, after all, a matter of years ago. Glory isn''t something you can eat, right? Plus, the group leader obviously favors the old-timers..."

    Boggy''s body trembled slightly as he clenched his fists.

    Yong Mu, observing the situation, decided that it was best to stop there and stood up from the sofa.

    "Anyway, if you ever have trouble, feel free toe to me. If you want to teach that guy called Chi Qi a lesson, as a ssmate, I''ll always stand by your side."

    Having said that, he nced at Ma Lu, who was sitting on the other side, and his fewpanions, then walked over to the other side of the bar to y darts.

    After they left, the waitress Faya came over again.

    "Are you guys okay? It''s better to stay away from the people of ck Horn Hunting Group. Everyone in that group has dirty hands."

    "It''s okay in the city, but once you leave the high walls where thew enforcers and the guild can''t see, who knows what they might get up to."

    "It doesn''t matter anymore. I don''t n on being a Hunter anyway," Boggy said, as if he hade to some decision.

    "Huh?"

    "I''ve already left the Harpist. I don''t intend to join another Hunting Group. Wherever I go, I would just be a burden, holding others back."

    "But wasn''t it your dream since childhood to be a hunter? You worked so hard in school just to follow in your father''s footsteps, to one day see thendscapes that he had seen."

    "I... don''t have the talent like my father did," Boggy said disheartenedly. "No matter how hard I try, I could never be a qualified hunter. Ever since I took over the Harpist, the Hunting Group has been on a continuous decline. I''ve even dragged Uncle Guli down with me. I should have left earlier. Continuing on would just be too selfish."

    The waitress, at a loss because of what he said, could only cast a pleading look toward Ma Lu.

    Ma Lu thought for a moment and then nodded, "That makes sense."

    "Ah, can''t you see how much Boggy is ming himself right now? Even if it''s just out of friendship, you should at least give him some affirmation and encouragement now," Faya said in dissatisfaction.

    "Although I haven''t known him for long, I don''t think he''s the type who needs false encouragement to get motivated. Someone who has faced his father''s death and still dared to venture deep into that desert to face danger should not be this fragile."

    Ma Lu finished hisst sip of Bobo drink, let out a satisfied sigh, and then turned to Boggy on the opposite side.

    "Let''s start a New Hunting Group together," he said.

    "Eh?" Faya''s eyes widened in surprise.

    "No." Boggy shook his head. "Didn''t you hear what I just said?"

    "Don''t be hasty in rejecting it. You don''t want to join a Hunting Group because you''re worried about holding back your teammates, not because you really don''t want to be a hunter anymore. If we start our own New Hunting Group, you won''t have to worry about that anymore. Besides..."

    "Besides what?"

    "Although you''ve left the Harpist, with the respect your father left behind and your connection with Guli, if you have a change of heart and want to return to the Hunting Group, do you think Guli could refuse? I know what you want to say; you wouldn''t do it, but can you guarantee that Chi Qi wouldn''t think that way?

    Creating a New Hunting Group would also reassure him that you won''t go back, and instead, he''ll continue to stay with the Harpist. Especially if you''re really the reason he has been considering moving."

    Ma Lu finished in one breath, while Boggy fell into deep thought.

 Chapter 8: 8 My Companions are Few

    "I will form a New Hunting Group to put Chi Qi at ease, but not with you," Boggy spoke again after a long silence.

    Ma Lu wasn''t very surprised, "Is it because I''m of no use?"

    "That''s right," Boggy admitted straightforwardly.

    "Good, it seems like you''ve started to step into the role of a captain."

    "I don''t know where youe from, but it looks like you really don''t understand the desert out there. The ce indeed holds infinite opportunities, but it''s also fraught with risks. Your performance against the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream was totally that of a novice. If I let you into the group, I''m afraid you wouldn''t survive even a day," the young boy warned.

    "I know hunting is dangerous, so if a fight breaks out, I''ll try to stay behind you," Ma Lu said.

    "......"

    "Before you make your final decision, why not listen to what my psychic power is?" Ma Lu threw out his ace.

    "You''ve awakened a psychic power too?" Boggy finally showed a hint of surprise on his face, "Which series is it?"

    "My psychic power is quite special, it''s of the Rogue Series."

    "Meat... Pigeon?" Boggy looked puzzled, "What is that? Aren''t there only seven psychic power systems like wind, fire, electricity, metal, earth, beast, and water?"

    "That''s why it''s special."

    "This isn''t something you just made up to sneak into the Hunting Group, right?" Boggy expressed his skepticism.

    "How about this, let''s not consider forming a New Hunting Group for now. We can team up just once, and I''ll prove it to you. If you think I''m lying to you, you can kick me out then," Ma Lu suggested.

    ......

    While Boggy was changing the battery of his motorcycle, he stood in front of the fan at the power station for a while, and his mind cleared somewhat.

    He felt that he must be insane, actually believing the words of a stranger he had known for less than a day.

    In the end, it was probably because he couldn''t let go.

    Although he had already left the Harpist and swore he''d never be a hunter again, deep down in his heart, Boggy still couldn''t ept such a reality. Most importantly, he had once promised that man he would fight alongside him.

    Now that person was no longer around, but Boggy still remembered that promise and that was why he was even more eager to continue fighting, to carry on not just his own battle but the man''s as well.

    Darn it! Boggy punched the metal frame beside him, drawing sidelong nces from passersby.

    The young boy didn''t mind the pain in his hand, he went to a nearby shop and bought some Hunting Clothes and replenished his supplies, which had been used upst time. Then he rode back to the Little Bear Bar on his recharged motorcycle.

    From a distance, he saw Ma Lu squatting outside the door, with a small iron cage at his feet.

    Boggy recognized the contents and frowned, "Where did you find so many Young me Lizards?"

    "I bought them at the bar''s kitchen. I''ll put it on your tab for now, and I''ll pay you back after the hunt," Ma Lu said as he was already climbing onto the motorcycle with the cage in hand.

    The Young me Lizard is the mostmon creature in the desert and easy to catch, making it not very valuable. Although Boggy found it strange that Ma Lu was taking a cage of Young me Lizards out of the city to hunt, he didn''t say anything more, turned around, and drove the motorcycle out of the city.

    Ma Lu changed into the Hunting Clothes Boggy had bought for him in the back seat. This was just the most basic model, but even so, it was much better than the ck suit given by the Bug Egg, not only in terms of heat instion but also breathability.

    Additionally, the apanying scarf and goggles could block sand and protect his mouth, nose, and eyes.

    Entering the desert again, Ma Lu was no longer as disheveled as he had been five hours earlier, and this time, his golden finger had arrived.

    Previously, when attacked by a Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream, Ma Lu had thrown the [Gift of Fate], touted as the most powerful divine artifact in the Multiverse by Old Wang.

    Except for a somewhat odd number¡ª29, he had obtained nothing.

    Not until he had personally in a Young me Lizard did his [Traveler''s Bracelet] suddenly emit a string of rms.

    [Attention Attention Attention Attention... Detecting special high-dimensional energy, inserting new rules into the current universe.]

    [New rule insertionpleted... Trigger conditions met, activating additional functionality.]

    [Function number 29.]

    [Congrattions! Your team has just defeated the formidable opponent, Young me Lizard. Please choose one of the following three blessings to receive before the 60-second countdown ends.]

    1. [Aerobics Enthusiast: Increases the whole team''s stamina by 1%.]

    2. [Primary Healing: Provides a normal healing to a designated teammate.]

    3. [Arsonist: There is a 3% chance that the fire created by team members with fire-type Psychic Power will reignite after being extinguished.]

    A line of small print below the options noted: Blessings only effective in the current universe, all blessings will be reset upon leaving.

    Ma Lu didn''t rush to choose since none of these rewards seemed particrly useful to him at the moment, but this familiar post-battle choice and the in-universe effect rule brought back many memories.

    Roguelike? Could it actually be Roguelike?

    Roguelike, also termed a ''Meat Pigeon'' game, is a genre much like time-management games, significantly more popr at present.

    And much as with time-management games, it could simply be inserted as a new gamey element into any game, just like now.

    After some thought, Ma Lu chose the first blessing. He wasn''t injured, so Primary Healing was of no use at the moment, and ''Arsonist'' was somewhat vague, leaving only the enhancement of stamina as an option.

    However, a mere 1% increase in stamina was hardly noticeable; Ma Lu couldn''t feel it and could only find the additional blessing in the newly-appearing character status tab on his bracelet.

    Yet one blessing was clearly not enough.

    Taking advantage of Boggy changing the motorbike''s battery, Ma Lu slipped into the back kitchen of the Little Bear Bar.

    Although he was chased out in less than three minutes, he managed to bag seven Young me Lizards and, amid the chaos, he finished off a dying Bloodsucking Tail Weasel by the sink, which turned out to be a two-star ingredient, offering him three more choices.

    1. [Iron Lifting Expert: Increases the whole team''s strength by 10%.]

    2. [You Slow Down: When a team member''s attack hits, there''s a 3% chance to inflict slow on the target, reducing their movement speed by 50%.]

    3. [I Have Few Companions: The smaller the team, the higher the basic attribute bonus for each member, increasing strength, speed, stamina, and reflexes by 50%. Each additional person reduces the effect by 10%, and the blessing is nullified with more than five people.]

    These three options sparked Ma Lu''s interest.

    The choices he received after defeating the Young me Lizard were all white, but after defeating the Bloodsucking Tail Weasel, the colors of the options also changed, bing two blue and one purple.

    Ma Lu briefly scanned them and without any hesitation, he immediately chose the Purple Blessing at the bottom.

 Chapter 9: 9 A Bit Evil

    """

    The effect of "My Companions Are Few" was immediate and profound, with a drastic increase in the four-dimensional attributes, bringing a sensation akin to leveling up on the spot.

    Ma Lu could now throw a punch casually and feel the power of an amateur boxer.

    Moreover, this blessing was well-suited for the current mode of pairing up in teams of two. Even with Boggy joining, each would still gain a 40% enhancement to all attributes.

    As for the idea of one person enjoying a full 50% attribute bonus, Ma Lu had never considered it.

    Although it wasmon in the Meat Pigeon game to have a "Lone Walkthrough" style where yers abandoned their teammates, the reality was undoubtedly far moreplicated.

    Ma Lu had no outdoor survival experience, nor did he possess the necessary equipment or vehicles; he waspletely ignorant about the habits and weaknesses of prey.

    Even with the newly unlocked No. 29 function to pile up attributes, hunting would still be challenging.

    This was precisely why he had been seeking to form a team from the beginning.

    Moreover, whether it was Boggy''s previous introduction about the Hunting Group or the implications made clear enough already by the two sets of "Choose One" options¡ªthe hunt is a team effort.

    The motorcycle sped through the endless desert.

    The deathly silence and monotonous scenery were identical to five hours earlier, the only difference being the single sun left in the sky, which somewhat lessened the omnipresent heat.

    This time, Boggy only rode for 40 minutes before gradually slowing down and starting to survey the surroundings.

    Theoretically, the further from the Giant Curtain, the higher the chance of encountering prey, particrly the valuable high-grade ones, but the risks also increased.

    Considering there were only two members in the hunting team, and Ma Lu''s strength was somewhat questionable, Boggy decided not to venture too far, to be on the safe side.

    Many people subconsciously use a hunter''s strength inbat as the criterion for judgment, but this is not urate.

    Aside from the final battle, searching for prey, tracking, and setting traps are also essential skills a hunter must master.

    There are even hunters who specialize in certain skills; even if they are not good at fighting, they be coveted by Hunting Groups whenbined with special psychic powers.

    Boggy might not have reached that degree, but he was diligent during his time at Hunter School; he ranked at the top in all subjects and had a strong foundation.

    It''s just that he had always been down on his luck while with the Harpist, even simple reconnaissance could go awry.

    Boggy shook his head, trying his best to banish those unpleasant memories from his mind and prepared to showcase his abilities in the uing hunt.

    But just then, he heard Ma Lu behind him asking, "Red line tube worm, what''s that?"

    "Hm?" Boggy replied with surprise. "You mean the Water Deliverer? Oh, locals call it that because its body is filled with water.

    "If you lose your water supply in the desert, you just need to find a Water Deliverer and make a cut on its skin to immediately get a bowl of clean water."

    "That name is quite fitting," Ma Lu agreed and then humbly inquired, "Does the Water Deliverer taste good?

    "No one eats the Water Deliverer, because it has only a very thin skin, with the remaining 97% being water."

    "Then let''s leave it be; it mighte in handy at some point," Ma Lu thought aloud.

    Boggy was confused, "What do you mean? Are there Water Deliverers nearby?"

    """

    Ma Lu nodded, "Yeah, not just here, we''ve already encountered several Water Deliverers on the way."

    Ever since he had activated the detection mode on his Traveler''s Bracelet, Ma Lu never turned it off, so every half a minute the bracelet would scan the circr area within twenty meters around him.

    Whenever there was food material, a notification would immediately pop up.

    "How is that possible?" Boggy frowned, "Water Deliverers usually hide under the sand at various depths, and it''s nearly impossible to spot them from the outside."

    "I have a special method of searching," Ma Lu said seeing that Boggy seemed unconvinced, and then added, "Stop, there''s something else here, Sand-Spray Qiang, hmm, this is the first time I''ve seen this name, but it''s still only a 1-star."

    Although still somewhat skeptical, Boggy stopped the motorcycle, "Are you sure, where is it? Sand-Spray Qiang can sell for a good price in the market, we definitely need to catch it if wee across one."

    Ma Lu spread his hands, "I can''t say exactly where, but it''s definitely not far from us."

    Boggy didn''t say anything more. He bent down, pressed his ear to the sandy ground, and after a few seconds, he abruptly raised his head and sprinted off towards the right front.

    "Hey, wait."

    Ma Lu had only spoken half his sentence when he saw Boggy already lunging out, and at the same time, a cloud of dust suddenly rose in front of his face.

    Boggy fell into the dust cloud, but when he got up again, his hand was holding an ugly animal with a sharp head and a long tail, its body covered with bone armor, still wriggling and struggling.

    "It really is a Sand-Spray Qiang," Boggy eximed with joy, "I heard it preparing to flee and took action first. What were you trying to say just now?"

    "Never mind, well done."

    Holding the Sand-Spray Qiang, Boggy walked back to the motorcycle, secured its limbs with rope, then looked at Ma Lu with a different expression.

    "So that Meat Pigeon Series Ability of yours is used for scouting and finding prey?"

    "That''s just one aspect."

    Ma Lu exined in a way that Boggy could understand as much as possible, "What I''m really good at is offering the souls of prey in exchange for enhancements for the team, significantly boosting the members'' strength."

    "That sounds a bit evil," Boggy spat out the dust in his mouth.

    "It does sound a bit evil, but I can assure you, there are absolutely no side effects," Ma Lu stretched out his hand, "So would you like to be my teammate?"

    Boggy hesitated for a moment but did not shake hands with Ma Lu, simply saying, "We''re already teammates, you provide me with information on prey, I hunt, andter we can split the spoils evenly, hmm, and we can discuss establishing a Hunting Group."

    "Thene find me when you change your mind," Ma Lu didn''t insist.

    Having gained something shortly after setting out put Boggy in a good mood, and Ma Lu continued to use his special telekic powers to find quite a few new prey items.

    Although some ran away before Boggy could act, and some might be hiding deep underground, requiring special equipment to hunt, the two still had a fruitful harvest.

    In just four hours, they caught sixteen Gray Elephant Shrews, four ck-Breasted Chickens, a nest of Jumping Mice, and another Sand-Spray Qiang.

    While Boggy hunted, Ma Lu wasn''t idle either, continuing to pick up Young me Lizards on the side. These little creatures were truly abundant in the desert; you coulde across them simply by walking around. Ma Lu picked up another nine, making sixteen including those already in the cage.

    It was about time for a sky offering.

    The blessings offered by these Young me Lizards were generally quite weak, only by amassing arge quantity could one feel the enhancement.

 Chapter 10: 10 The Embryo of Schools

    Three hours of continuous hunting had worn Boggy out.

    So after catching the second Sand-Spray Qiang, he stopped his motorcycle behind a small shady dune, opened the storage box under the seat, and took out a tent and a small cooking pot.

    Boggy set up the tent and then chose four of the less lively Gray Elephant Shrews from those he had bundled up.

    Ma Lu volunteered to behead them, after which Boggy skinned them, removed their innards, gave them a simple rinse with water, and then threw them all into the pot.

    The cooking pot was powered by the motorcycle''s battery, and before long, the aroma of meat wafted from the pot.

    Boggy sprinkled some salt on top, and once the meat was cooked, he gave the first piece to Ma Lu.

    "Eat up, we owe this catch to you. I didn''t expect tond so much prey so near to the Giant Curtain."

    "Your hunting skills are pretty impressive too," Ma Lu said with genuine sincerity. He had just witnessed Boggy''s entire hunting process up close, and even without much understanding of the skill, he could tell Boggy had performed well.

    It''s worth noting, despite venturing out together, Boggy hadn''t epted his invitation to team up, so he didn''t benefit from the blessings that came with it.

    In other words, it was all his own strength.

    "At school, no one was more diligent than I was," Boggy said with pride. "I was first in my ss every year, except for thest one."

    "What happened in thatst year?"

    Ma Lu took a bite of Gray Elephant Shrew meat, which tasted slightly tough, a bit like wood and had a strong gamy vor, very different from the pan-fried sand bream he''d eaten at the Little Bear Bar a few hours earlier. Boggy''s cooking was brute-simple; other than salt, he hadn''t used any seasonings, so it wasn''t tasty, just barely enough to fill one''s stomach.

    But Boggy didn''t seem picky at all, devouring a leg in a few bites before tearing into another, "In the fourth year, psychic power was included in the evaluation."

    "Ha, I figured as much."

    "It''s inevitable, without talent, you''re just without talent. Huntingmon prey near the city, this gap might not be so pronounced, but once you delve deeper into the desert and encounter the real deal, the chasm that talent gaps create bes crystal clear."

    Boggy paused for a moment, "Your telekinesis... it''s indeed unique. Unlike me, it is quite useful, especially valuable to the big Hunting Groups. With them, you''d get arger share of the spoils. Are you sure you want to form a Hunting Group with me?"

    Ma Lu waved his hand dismissively, "Big Hunting Groups have too many restrictions. Besides, being an outsider, I''d rather have the peace of mind working with you. Plus, I''ve said before that your situation isn''t entirely hopeless."

    He wasn''t justforting Boggy; under the Meat Pigeon system, indeed, all things were possible.

    And it was after he had just dispatched neen Young me Lizards and four Gray Elephant Shrews in one go that Ma Lu made a new discovery.

    Three blessings caught his attention, two white and one blue:

    [Regenerative Shield: There is a 3% chance for a team member''s shield to instantly recover when damaged.]

    [This Water is Electrified: When a team member with Water-Series Psychic Power releases their abilities, there''s a 3% chance of it carrying an electrical charge.]

    [The Final Stand: There is a 15% chance for a team member''s shield to block all damage once when it gets damaged.]

    These three blessings had caught Ma Lu''s attention not just because they were well-suited to Boggy but also because they could synergize with each other. Despite their limited probability of triggering due to their low quality, whenbined, they already suggested the outline of a style to Ma Lu.

    A style is an essential, even the core part of the Meat Pigeon game, bybining several perks to produce effects far beyond their basic descriptions.

    Once a style is established, the team''sbat power undergoes a fundamental change, and reaching an invincible state is not impossible.

    Boggy clearly had no idea about the power of a style, but he was quite happy to hear that Ma Lu wanted to stay.

    After finishing off two Gray Elephant Shrews and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Boggy saw that Ma Lu had hardly eaten and showed concern, "Why are you not eating?"

    "Uh... I was just standing on the side earlier and didn''t move much, so I''m not very hungry."

    "Oh. Then let me pack it up for you, and you can eat it when you get hungry."

    Boggy went to get the lunch box near the motorcycle, and it was at this moment that Ma Lu heard a familiar buzzing sound by his ear, and at the same time his Traveler''s Bracelet popped up a notification.

    ¡ª¡ª Ding! Congrattions on discovering a 2-star ingredient "Two-Headed Hyena", "Two-Headed Hyena"pendium entry unlocked.

    Seeing the words ''2-star ingredient,'' Ma Lu got excited for a moment, but then he froze when he saw the name that followed.

    Because,pared to small creatures like elephant shrews and sand-spray qiangs, hyenas could certainly be categorized as beasts of prey, and more importantly, in his hometown, hyenas were pack animals that liked to move in groups.

    It was just unknown whether they maintained this behavior in this cosmic dimension.

    Just as Ma Lu was about to warn Boggy to be careful, two red figures pounced down from the sand dune, their target being Boggy who had his back turned to them!

    Four heads aimed their bites at Boggy''s neck, left hand, right hand, and nk.

    This was a premeditated ambush, which would have urred silently if the bracelet hadn''t identally scanned them.

    As Boggy had said, this desert was full of opportunities, but it was also fraught with risks, and the roles of hunter and prey could be reversed at any time.

    The two Two-Headed Hyenas were about to pounce on Boggy, but thetter suddenly rolled to the right side, then rolled on the spot, casually pulling out the mechanical spear hanging on the motorcycle mid-roll.

    That''s how Boggy brushed past the two Two-Headed Hyenas, gaining some distance before quickly standing back up from the ground.

    "You stand back, I''ll handle these two guys!"

    Although the opponents were not weak, Boggy was quite confident in himself as well.

    This confidence stemmed from years of relentless, hard training, but then he heard Ma Lu say, "You might not be able to handle this alone this time."

    "Just two Two-Headed Hyenas..."

    "Not two, but thirteen," said Ma Lu, pointing to another sand dune where eleven more red figures stood.

    Boggy drew in a sharp breath, "A pack of hyenas?"

    Encountering a pack of hyenas in the desert wasn''t strange, but it was quite rare toe across them so close to the Giant Curtain.

    So many hyenas werepletely beyond Boggy''s ability to handle, especially since the motorcycle had been blocked by the two Two-Headed Hyenas that had attacked him earlier.

    Boggy had encountered Two-Headed Hyenas before, and perhaps because they had two heads, these creatures were much smarter than ordinary beasts.

    They clearly understood the importance of the motorcycle to a hunter, and once they upied a favorable position, they wouldn''t easily give it up.

    This could be seen from the fact that they didn''t pursue Boggy further afternding, and at the same time, the eleven hyenas on the sand dune also began to run over.

    The situation suddenly became perilous.

    Boggy could only hope that a hunting group was passing by; otherwise, he and Ma Lu would probably both perish in this desert today.

    Thinking this, Boggy also became a bit nervous, his palms gripping the mechanical spear beginning to sweat, but to his surprise, Ma Lu beside him didn''t show any signs of panic, his eyes even shimmering with a hint of excitement.

    This guy, is he not afraid of death at all?

    While Boggy was pondering this, he saw Ma Lu stretch out his right hand to him, "Quick, join up now."

    "Now is not the time to discuss this kind of thing, is it?"

    "No, now is exactly the time to discuss this, it will be toote soon, do as I say if you want to survive," Ma Lu said sternly.

 Chapter 11: 11: Chefs Knife

    Boggy finally grasped that hand.

    Because even if it meant selling his soul to the devil, it was better than being torn to shreds by a pack of hyenas.

    Moreover, the devil''s palm felt quitefortable, its skin smooth like a peeled gray elephant shrew.

    But this also made Boggy inevitably wonder, could the owner of this hand really bring hope to the squad in the uing battle?

    However, he didn''t have time to think any further, as the hyenas were already close at hand.

    A Two-Headed Hyena was the first to leap forward, and then a second, and a third...

    So Boggy moved as well, his gaze locked onto the nearest Two-Headed Hyena, his Mechanical Spear stabbing straight out.

    With a thud, it pierced the target''s neck!

    Afternding the blow, Boggy was stunned, because he had clearly aimed for the hyena''s belly, but for some reason, it had veered off by a few inches.

    Before Boggy could figure out what was going on, another head of the hyena had already bitten at him again.

    Unlike most beasts, a Two-Headed Hyena wouldn''t die immediately after losing one head, as it had a spare one.

    Boggy pressed the switch on his Mechanical Spear, and the high-voltage current instantly stiffened the Two-Headed Hyena.

    But before he could catch his breath, the second wave of attacks came.

    This time, three Two-Headed Hyenas charged at him all at once, attacking from different directions, tightening Boggy''s heart.

    However, whether those three hyenas had been injured or not, their movements seemed somewhat slow.

    Boggy waited for one to leap into the air and, like hitting a baseball, he smacked it flying away, then bent his right knee and thrust it upward fiercely, mming it into the belly of another.

    At this moment, the fangs of the third Two-Headed Hyena were just a fist away from Boggy''s left calf, seemingly certain to connect, but just at this critical moment, Boggy had already pulled back his Mechanical Spear, stabbing backwards!

    As a result, that Two-Headed Hyena was firmly nailed to the ground!

    This sequence of moves clearly intimidated the following hyenas, causing them to slow down, rather than rushing up in a swarm, but the most astonished was Boggy himself.

    Because he trained every day, Boggy knew his body''s condition very well; with his current strength, he could handle at most two Two-Headed Hyenas simultaneously, and he had to be very cautious.

    But if you include the one that was at the forefront at the start, he had just defeated four Two-Headed Hyenas in one go and hadn''t been hurt at all.

    Did I really... be stronger?

    Boggy stared nkly at his own hands.

    The reason his first thrust had gone astray wasn''t because his aim had been off, but because his speed had increased, Boggy''s experience caused him to act too soon, turning what should have been a stab at the belly into a jab in the neck.

    Simrly, the subsequent three hyenas hadn''t been injured; their movements hadn''t slowed down, it was just that Boggy''s own reactions had gotten faster.

    As for strength, the Two-Headed Hyena that Boggy had pinned to the ground with his Mechanical Spear probably had the most right to speak, though at the moment it was too busy howling in pain.

    Ma Lu moved forward, pulled out a small knife, and ended the suffering of this poor creature, also snagging another chance to pick one out of three options.

    1. [Aerobic Expert: Increase the team''s stamina by 10%]

    2. [Localized Bleeding: A 15% chance for the team''s attacks to trigger a bleeding status, doubling the bleeding amount on the target]

    3. [Too Trappy: There is a 15% chance for an Earth-Series Psychic Power User in the team to create a quicksand trap nearby when releasing their ability]

    The luck this time was rather average; all three Blessings were blue, it seems two-star ingredients only have a chance to burst out Purple Blessings.

    Ma Lu felt a twinge of regret and casually chose [Localized Bleeding], then, with renewed vigor, he shed at the other Two-Headed Hyena that was impaled on the Mechanical Spear.

    The Traveler''s Bracelet immediately popped up with three options.

    1. [Father-Son Duo: If there is a father-son rtionship within the team and they are not more than 3 meters apart, all attributes of the father and son increase by 20%]

    2. [Too Trappy: There is a 15% chance that an Earth-Series Psychic Power User in the team will create a quicksand trap nearby when using their abilities]

    3. [You''re a Real Eye-Catcher: Designate a teammate within a 20 meters radius, and the hostility of hostile creatures towards them increases by 100%]

    Again, all three options were blue, and [Too Trappy] was indeed too trappy, evening up twice in a row. The other two blessings seemed useless, so Ma Lu simply decided to skip choosing and wait for the 60 seconds to pass.

    But just then, he glimpsed a new change among the hyena pack. The tragedy that had just befallen theirpanions made them realize that these two seemingly easy prey were not so easy to deal with after all. The remaining Two-Headed Hyenas started looking around hesitantly, clearly contemting retreat.

    Boggy also noticed the pack''s movements. However, before he could breathe a sigh of relief, those Two-Headed Hyenas, as if agitated by something, suddenly tensed their bodies, their blood-red eyes locked onto him, emitting low whines.

    Boggy knew this was a signal that the hyena pack was about tounch an attack.

    Although he didn''t understand why, in that brief moment, the Two-Headed Hyenas had undergone a change of heart, with hostility escting sharply, Boggy still managed to pull his Mechanical Spear from the ground in anticipation. The hyena pack charged at them once more.

    This time, there were nine of them, including the two that had been watching over the motorcycle, joining the hunt. But Boggy''s heart was less tense than before.

    Because now, he was stronger than he had ever been.

    Boggy cautioned Ma Lu standing behind him, "Be careful, don''t leave my side."

    Ma Lu muttered an acknowledgment, appearing somewhat embarrassed. He had just chosen [You''re a Real Eye-Catcher] and designated Boggy.

    There was no helping it; letting a group of two-star ingredients get away seemed too wasteful.

    Moreover, since Boggy had joined the team, Ma Lu could check his status in the character status bar, and now Boggy''s name was followed by a long list of blessings.

    Among them, a 45% increase in strength, 47% in speed, 41% in stamina, and a whopping 50% in reflexes.

    Apart from that, there were various enhancements rted to attack effects and Psychic Power abilities. It seemed they should be capable of handling the present Two-Headed Hyenas.

    This time, Ma Lu wouldn''t just stand by and watch. His body had also been enhanced by the blessings, but as a normal person with nobat skills, rushing in swinging haymakers was still dangerous.

    But now, under the effect of [You''re a Real Eye-Catcher], Boggy had sessfully grabbed the attention, creating an excellent environment for output damage; Ma Lu could also seize the opportunity tond sneak attacks.

    In the blink of an eye, the hyena pack had already rushed up to them.

    Boggy struck first, plunging his Mechanical Spear into the mouth of one of the Two-Headed Hyenas. Unable to master the precise timing of his strikes, Boggy simply aimed for the fleshier parts, hitting wherever he could.

    Then he swung around with the Two-Headed Hyena still on his spear tip, sending other approaching hyenas flying.

    However, due to therge number of hyenas, two still dodged the sweeping attack and darted to Boggy''s side. Boggy immediatelyshed out with his leg, kicking one of the Two-Headed Hyenas in the neck and breaking its spine.

    He then attempted to repeat the maneuver, retracting his Mechanical Spear to strike the other, but three more Two-Headed Hyenas closed to less than a step away from him.

    Boggy could only deal with these three first, taking a half-step back to avoid vital points, but his lower leg inevitably got scratched.

    The Two-Headed Hyena that scratched him tried to bite down, but was abruptly stabbed in the eye socket by a Chef''s Knife wielded at an angle.

    The intense pain elicited a scream from the creature, and it failed to mp down its jaws. Meanwhile, Ma Lu had already pulled the Chef''s Knife out, blood spurting with the withdrawal, and thrust it back into the hyena''s body.

    This time, however, his aim was slightly off, hitting the shoulder de. But the knife, undiminished in force, cruelly sliced open the bone.

    An Old Wang product always guarantees quality!

    This seemingly unremarkable Chef''s Knife had a simple yet brutal effect¡ªslicing through all ingredients without damage.

 Chapter 12: 12 The Great Harvest

    Ma Lu''s knife skills weren''t great, but he stabbed often enough, and eventually he managed to kill the Two-Headed Hyena with sheer persistence.

    By the time he looked up again, only four of the Two-Headed Hyenas attacking Boggy were left, and two of them were injured.

    But they still did not run away, and continued to fight bravely.

    Unfortunately, the difference in strength between the two sides was too vast, and soon those four Two-Headed Hyenas followed in theirpanions'' footsteps, lying on the ground together.

    The whole battlested less than five minutes, but the process was still quite thrilling.

    When everything had settled, Boggy couldn''t even believe his own eyes.

    "We... we took down an entire hyena group?"

    "Mostly you, I just helped a little," Ma Lu said.

    "No, if it hadn''t been for your psychic power, we would all have died here today."

    By now, Boggy hadpletely believed what Ma Lu had said before, even though he had never heard of such a strange psychic power before today.

    But there was no doubt that the Meat Pigeon Series Psychic Power did exist, and the battle that had just taken ce was the best proof. Boggy felt as if he had divine assistance and didn''t notice any side effects.

    He grabbed Ma Lu''s hand, excited, "With your power, we... we can go deeper, to hunt rarer prey!"

    "Uh-huh, but before that, let''s take a look at the wound on your leg," Ma Lu said.

    Only then did Boggy remember that one of the Two-Headed Hyenas seemed to have scratched his calf, and blood was now seeping from that spot.

    Boggy bent down and rolled up his pant leg, revealing his well-defined, tight and muscr calf below, which looked like a taut bowstring, full of strength.

    However, just below the knee were three startling wounds. Because he had been so engrossed in the battle, Boggy hadn''t felt much pain, but now that the adrenaline had stopped flowing, his pain nerves began to work again.

    Boggy just frowned, nning to go to the motorcycle to get some medicine to apply, but Ma Lu said, "Wait a moment."

    After saying that, he found some of the Two-Headed Hyenas that were still clinging to life nearby. By the time he finished off the third one, an option that Ma Lu wanted finally popped up.

    [Intermediate Healing: Offer a one-time special treatment to a designated teammate]

    You''re the one!

    Ma Lu then went back to Boggy, extended a hand, and lightly ced it on thetter''s calf, while whispering something.

    When he lifted his hand, the bleeding had stopped, and the wound was healing at a visibly elerated rate.

    Once the scab fell off, only three faint scars remained.

    Boggy''s eyes widened again, "How is this possible, how did you do that?!"

    "The Psychic Powers of the Meat Pigeon Series are ever-changing; nothing that happens should surprise you."

    Ma Lu stood up again and nced at his wristband, "There are two and a half hours left, shall we look around here a bit more?"

    "Okay, but we''ve already caught a lot of prey, and the motorcycle can hardly hold any more."

    Boggy moved his limbs a bit, feeling no difort. Although he had just been through a tough fight, he had no intention of returning to the city to rest, and even craved morebat.

    Only through this could he more tangibly feel how strong he had be.

    Ma Lu also didn''t want to waste the blessings he''d painstakingly umted.

    Especially the group of Two-Headed Hyenas just now, they were all uniformly 2-star ingredients, and the blessings they contributed were also starting at blue, making this round nothing short of an epic enhancement.

    "Don''t worry about that, I''ll pack up my share first."

    As Ma Lu spoke, he flipped out the Collection Bag he carried with him and used the Chef''s Knife to cut the ingredients into sizes that would just fit into stic bags.

    At first, Boggy thought Ma Lu was joking, as the stic bag in his hand seemed to barely fit two ck-Breasted Chickens at most. Yet Boggy watched, eyes wide open, as Ma Lu tossed chunk after chunk of meat into it.

    In total, Ma Lu packed six Two-Headed Hyenas into the bag, as well as half of the previously caught game. All of these items together weighed over three hundred pounds, yet even with so much stuffed inside, the Collection Bag was still not too heavy nor too light to carry, just right.

    Having seen too many bizarre things in one day, Boggy had be somewhat numb to it all and didn''t even ask any questions. Seeing that there was now more space on the motorcycle, he said to Ma Lu, "Get on."

    The division ofbor remained the same as before, with Ma Lu finding the quarry and Boggy taking action. However, hunting was a matter of luck.

    Even though this time Boggy headed to an area farther from the Giant Curtain, along the way, the two didn''t encounter any high-star ingredients.

    However, Ma Lu''s Collection Bag did end up with quite a bit more 1-star meat. Boggy was ready to venture even further when he heard Ma Lu say, "That''s enough for now."

    "I''m feeling good today. I should have enough energy to continue hunting for two to three more hours," Boggy said, still feeling eager to do more.

    "But it''s about time for me to leave."

    "Leave?"

    "That''s right, I''ll being back six days from now. Let''s hunt together again then."

    Boggy mmed on the brakes suddenly, prompting Ma Lu to instinctively hug his body.

    "You''re noting to find me for another six days?"

    "Yes, that''s the n. And once I leave, the enhancement effect on you will disappear, so you''d better head back to the city quickly. Moreover, try not to hunt alone while I''m gone."

    "Huh?!" Boggy''s mouth hung open.

    Seeing that time was running out, Ma Lu spoke faster, "Lastly, remember toe here to pick me up next time. If I''m not here, you could try going to the ce where we first met."

    "Wait," Boggy said, frowning, "but this is a desert. Are you sure you want to separate from me here?"

    However, there was no reply from behind. Boggy turned around to find that the person at the back had vanished without a trace, as if he had never been there.

    If not for the game still hanging from the motorcycle, Boggy might have almost thought that everything that happened before was just an illusion.

    ......

    When the countdown on his wrist hit zero, Ma Lu found himself back on the sofa in the living room, still sitting crossed-legged, but now he was holding the white egg in his hand.

    The Hunting Clothes he wore, including those cool-looking goggles, were gone. In their ce, he wore the sportswear he''d especially dug out for this journey to the Different Dimension.

    Fortunately, the four pieces of equipment Old Wang had given him, especially the stic bag, were still there and stuffed full.

    "It worked!"

    Ma Lu leapt up from the sofa with joy, itching to grab Old Wang and head out to set up a stall right away, to exchange all the ingredients he had collected for cash, until he caught sight of the wall clock and calmed down a bit.

 Chapter 13: 13 Farmers Market

    The current time is 5 a.m.

    Ma Lu had set off at 4:59 p.m., and exactly 12 hours had psed since then.

    So he had to temporarily subdue the excitement in his heart and first went into the kitchen to take out all the ingredients.

    This time, he had gathered a total of 23 Young me Lizards, 12 Gray Elephant Shrews, 12 Jumping Mice, 6 Two-Headed Hyenas, 3 ck-Breasted Chickens, 2 Angr Belly ck Swift Snakes, and 1 Sand-Spray Qiang.

    Among them, aside from the Two-Headed Hyena being a 2-star ingredient, the rest were 1-star ingredients.

    These items almost filled the small kitchen in the rental, with a rich scent of meat hitting the face.

    Old Wang followed him into the kitchen, and before Ma Lu could speak, he saw a metal wire extend from under Old Wang''s tactical vest and plug into the left interface of his wristband.

    "I''m now transmitting the recipes to you. You can use them as a reference to develop and adjust the daily menu based on the ingredients at hand, and leave the cooking to me."

    The entire transmission processsted about ten seconds, after which Ma Lu found that an app named Recipes had been added to his wristband.

    After clicking into it, the first thing that popped up was a sentence.

    ¡ª¡ªThere are no perfect chefs in this universe, only those who tirelessly chase perfection.

    Ma Lu stroked his chin, "Eh, I always feel that the person who wrote these recipes is very harsh on themselves."

    When Old Wang saw Ma Lu looking at him, he shook his head and said, "I don''t know who left these recipes. Anyway, when I opened my eyes in this universe, they were already in my sector."

    "All right then, let me see what''s inside."

    As Ma Lu spoke, he continued flipping through the pages, quickly bing captivated by the bizarre dishes listed inside.

    "Ah, you can eat Tri-winged Cockroaches? Just the name alone would make people feel uneasy, right?"

    "Ma-style dry steaming with sulfur crystals, what kind of method is that?"

    "And what about Huotong? What kind of ingredient is that?"

    Old Wang reminded him, "Some dishes can''t be cooked with our current tools. Also, some dishes require special ingredients, so you can exclude them for now. Moreover, if you want to start selling immediately, it''s best not to choose the dishes with many preparatory steps. And thest, most important point, remember to utilize the search function effectively."

    Ma Lu was nearly dazzled by various strange dishes, so upon hearing this, he quickly typed ''Two-Headed Hyena'' into the search bar, and the 999+ recipes instantly dwindled to 13.

    Ma Lu reviewed each recipe. Most of them didn''t meet the cooking conditions; either they required special tools, or there were several unfamiliar ingredients.

    In the end, only 5 recipes were viable to make, and even then, 3 of them were not suitable for street vending, leaving only two choices.

    ¡ª¡ª[Jackal Meat Sausage]and[Fried Jackal Meat Cake]

    Then Ma Lu searched for Young me Lizard and this time found 7 recipes, though even fewer were feasible at this stage, leaving only[Mustard Lizard Tail]and[Young Lizard Kebabs].

    In theory, Young Lizard Kebabs were quite suitable for a street stall, provided that people could ept the shape of lizards without calling the police.

    Unfortunately, it was very unlikely, and while Lizard Tails could masquerade as squid tentacles, it was unfortunate that 23 tails were not even enough for one dish.

    After that, Ma Lu sessively typed in ck-Breasted Chicken, Gray Elephant Shrew, Jumping Mouse, Angr Belly ck Swift Snake, and Sand-Spray Qiang.

    The recipe options for the ck-Breasted Chicken were the most numerous, and they felt somewhat simr to chicken on Earth, offering a variety of cooking methods.

    The gray elephant shrew and the jumping mouse look very simr, and to a certain extent, they can substitute for each other. The best vores from making them into jerky, so customers won''t see their original forms and avoid issues like those with the young me lizard skewers.

    As for the angr belly ck swift snake, it can be used to make snake soup or soaked in liquor, while the sand-spray qiang can be made into y pot meat soup.

    Additionally, Ma Lu noticed numbers at the bottom of the menu, ranging from single to triple digits.

    "What are these?" Ma Lu asked, pointing at the number 48 below the "Fried Jackal Meat Cake."

    "Experience points," Old Wang replied.

    "Experience points?"

    "Yes, chef is a profession that requires repeated cooking to umte experience to improve skills. I don''t know how far the former me had reached, but the current me has experienced extensive damage to the sector, and this part of the data has disappeared as well, so I have to start from scratch."

    "I see, so what''s the use of having a higher experience valueter on?"

    "Once the experience points umte to a certain level, my cooking skills will improve, unlocking more recipes, and I can also refine existing dishes to increase the Deliciousness Index."

    "Deliciousness Index?" Ma Lu saw a ¡ï¡î after the "Fried Jackal Meat Cake," "Ah, that''s what you mean, so that means that right now you can make this dish with a Deliciousness of one and a half stars, what does that mean?"

    "It''s not very urate to answer your question with just thenguage system, why don''t I make a serving for you to try? But first, you need to gather the rest of the ingredients."

    "Okay," Ma Lu said, perking up at the idea. After hunting outside for so long, he was hungry.

    Ma Lu remembered that there was a farmers market less than two kilometers from the neighborhood, but he wasn''t sure if it was open yet.

    He had never cooked before and rarely got up early, so he hadn''t paid much attention to that ce. However, since he couldn''t sleep anyway, he decided to go take a look.

    After changing into a short sleeve shirt and shorts, Ma Lu went downstairs, got on his newly purchased tricycle, and headed straight for the farmers market.

    To his surprise, the farmers market, which was open at 5:21 am, was not only bustling with people and vehicles.

    Most of those riding tricycles like him were vegetable vendorsing to deliver goods. There were also trucks fromrge supermarkets and online shopping tforms loading goods at the entrance.

    Chicken, duck, fish, meat, vegetables, and fruits piled up like mountains in the market, with people rummaging, picking, and haggling around them.

    Ma Lu parked his tricycle in a corner without rush and took a stroll through the market first, to get a feel for the prices.

    He paid particr attention to the meat prices. Currently, pork was still priced high; even the cheapest cuts were 13 yuan per half kilogram. Ma Lu did a quick conversion and realized that he had brought back meat worth at least 3000 yuan.

    Considering this, his trip seemed quite profitable, but it was a pity that the meat of unknown origin couldn''t be sold directly and had to be for personal use.

    While wandering, Ma Lu also encountered some peers who seemed to be chefs or owners of local restaurants. In the market, they were treated like celebrities.

    Wherever they went, people greeted them, and the stall owners would save their best goods or prime cuts for them.

    Thus, thepetition between restaurants actually started before they opened for business.

    Being able to purchase the best quality ingredients at the lowest prices was like getting a forty-meter head start in a hundred-meter race.

    Scratching his head, Ma Lu felt that next time he went to the other side, it was necessary to learn some skills in meat quality assessment from Boggy. Relying solely on the rankings provided by the bracelet was too vague; even if all were meat, the taste of different parts varied noticeably.

    After feeling that he had browsed enough, Ma Lu followed the list, purchased the ingredients and seasonings Old Wang needed, and rode the tricycle back home.

 Chapter 14: 14 Clickety-clack

    By the time Ma Lu returned to his rented apartment, Old Wang had already processed a Two-Headed Hyena, skinned it, removed the innards and bones, and minced the meat.

    He took the stic bag handed to him by Ma Lu, nced at it, then turned back into the kitchen.

    Ma Lu took a seat on the sofa, pulled out his phone to spat withizens on a forum, and before he knew it, more than twenty minutes had passed.

    It was then that he caught a whiff of an appetizing scent, took a couple of sniffs, and felt his already empty stomach grow even hungrier.

    Unable to remain seated any longer, he got up and entered the kitchen, just in time to see Old Wang lift a piece of meat pie from the frying pan.

    The meat pie was fried to a golden crisp, still sizzling as it left the oil. After draining the oil, Old Wang ced it on an empty te, apanying it with some sliced cabbage, squeezed some lemon juice over it, and finally drizzled it with a spoonful of his special tomato sauce.

    Ma Lu was already impatient and fished out some disposable chopsticks left over from a takeaway meal, grabbed the meat pie, blew on it twice, and then took a big bite.

    The bread crumbs on the outside gave a crispy texture, crunching between his teeth and sealing the moisture inside the pie.

    As the crust broke apart, the juices flooded out like a breached dam, engulfing his whole mouth with a rich meaty aroma.

    The minced jackal meat was chewier and denser than pork, providing a more satisfying chew, although some might find it to be a bit tough. But as Ma Lu bit into it, he didn''t find it tough; it was slightly crispy with a tinge of sweetness on the aftertaste.

    "Ah, it''s lotus root; you had me buy lotus root to use here?"

    "And onions," Old Wang said.

    "No wonder there''s no gamy taste, and the lemon juice is a great touch, reducing the greasiness of the fried stuff considerably."

    While speaking, Ma Lu took another bite and let out a light sound of surprise.

    But this time, he was too busy eating to talk, swiftly devouring the meat pie on his te.

    Still not satisfied, he went on to eat the cabbage on the side as well, licking his lips with longing, "What''s the deal with this sauce? Why do I feel it brought out a stronger vor in the meat pie after pouring it on?"

    "It''s because I added broth to it, using the bones of the Two-Headed Hyena. However, the cooking time was a bit short; it would have been better to let it simmer for another day and night."

    "I see, so my craving for another bite is probably thanks to the tomato ying its part," Ma Lu said, cing his chopsticks down and letting out a satisfied sigh.

    "This is the most delicious meat pie I''ve ever had; if this is only rated at ¡ï¡î, I can''t imagine how tasty the dishes with more stars must be."

    "To taste food with a higher deliciousness rating, you need to gather higher-quality ingredients or improve my chef level to further unlock and stimte the potential of the ingredients," Old Wang replied.

    "Got it, got it, I''ll do my best to look for them," Ma Lu said, hooking his arm around Old Wang''s shoulder, "But right now, there''s something even more important."

    "What''s that?"

    "The deliciousness of the Fried Jackal Meat Cake haspletely exceeded my expectations; I think we should set up a stall immediately and let more people taste this delicacy!"

    "But aren''t we still not finished with the preparations for opening the shop?"

    "Hmm, I''ll figure something out; for now, you just prepare the ingredients for 100, no, 150 meat pies."

    After setting the goal for the first day of business with Old Wang, Ma Lu ate another Fried Jackal Meat Cake before getting to work.

    He first tossed a few bottles of mineral water into the freezer, then spent 40 yuan on Jiyou Tongcheng to buy a second-hand gas stove, convinced the guy across the street to give him a connection hose, and even found a seller of oil paper bags, although they hadn''t been online for two days.

    Ma Lu tried to leave a message for him and then headed straight for the print shop at the entrance of the neighborhood. There wasn''t enough time to redesign the signboard, so Ma Lu simply used A4 paper to print out the words "Fried Meat Pie" in thergest font size, bold and in ck, and then printed out the QR codes for WeChat and Alipay payments.

    He stepped outside and turned towards the two-dor store around the corner, only to find it was not yet open.

    Alright, Ma Lu checked the time; it was only 7:15 in the morning. It seemed a bit too early, so he took the subway to deliver a gas stove and by the time he got back, the two-dor store had finally opened.

    Ma Lu bought some small boxes for condiments, little buckets for sides, and two folding stools, spending a total of 30 yuan. Next door at the convenience store, he bought two packs of cigarettes, and at that moment, a seller on the secondhand marketce who had been offline earlier finally showed up.

    However, he had already left for work, and there was no one at home, only avable for transactions in the evening.

    Ma Lu thought for a moment and decided to make the purchase, mainly because the seller''s price was indeed cheap: 15 yuan for 900 wax paper bags, and the quality seemed good in the pictures.

    It seemed he couldn''t use them today, but it didn''t matter. Ma Lu found a small pancake shop by the roadside, spending 30 yuan to buy 100 paper bags meant for pancakes, and then went on to buy 60 from a scallion pancake vendor.

    He had wanted to buy some stic bags too, but just then, someone came up, asking on WeChat if he was home.

    Ma Lu replied with an "I am."

    The person with the Hirase Yui profile picture sent another message:

    ¡ª Do you remember what you promised me? My dad just left. I''ll bring a box of figures up, help me find a ce to keep them safe.

    Ma Lu typed:

    ¡ª Alright, by the way, Little Brother Yang, do you have any leftover stic bags from when you were selling spicy seafood? Bring some up with you.

    This time, there was a long silence from the other side, and it took half a minute to reply:

    ¡ª Are you ckmailing me?

    ¡ª No, no, bring them up, and I''ll treat you to a fried meat pie.

    ¡ª Wait, I''ll check.

    Seeing this message, Ma Lu was no longer in a hurry to buy stic bags and headed back to his rental. When he came out of the elevator, he happened to see Little Brother Yang peering around the stairwell entrance with a cardboard box in his arms.

    "Rx, your dad won''t ambush you here."

    "You know nothing about my dad," Little Brother Yang snorted coldly. "Back when I was in elementary school, he''d often ambush me. Pretending to go to work during the summer vacation and thening back not even ten minutester, catching me ying on theputer."

    "That cunning?"

    "That''s just how he is. You better be careful around him too." Little Brother Yang was sure it was safe and quickly stepped out of the stairway, urging, "Hurry up and open the door, hurry up."

    "Yeah." Ma Lu took out his keys, unlocked the door, and Little Brother Yang briskly dashed inside, setting down the box and nudging at the two rolls of stic bags secured with rubber bands, "Here, the ones you wanted. Where''s the meat pie?"

    "Coming up." Ma Lu went into the kitchen and asked Old Wang for help with frying.

    Since the meat pie ingredients and fillings were all prepared in advance, it didn''t take long to cook them, and they were done in less than four minutes.

    Little Brother Yang, as a veteran of the street food business, waited while offering some pointed advice to the neer.

    "This line of work is not easy. You''ll know when you actually start selling. Don''t set your expectations too high on the first day; even one customer counts as a victory. What''s important is taking that brave first step. Then, you''ll find that working this business is even tougher than a regr job."

 Chapter 15: 15 Site Selection

    "Little Brother Yang, how many did you sell the first time you set up a stall?" Ma Lu asked curiously.

    "I remember it was like 5 portions, I think. I heard the auntie selling egg waffles next door say that it was a pretty good result for a newbie. Then I ate two portions myself, and I had to dump the rest because I was worried they would go bad overnight. So, that day, I ended up with a loss of more than three hundred yuan."

    "When I got back, I told my dad to stop bothering me. I said I could live off him just lying around, and if I really tried to be sessful, he might have to sell the house. As a result, he flew into a rage and gave me a beating."

    Little Brother Yang curled his lips, "So you guys are nning to sell fried meat pies, huh? Are you in such a hurry to get stic bags from me because you''re nning to set up shop today?"

    "We decided to try a trial operation and see how it goes," Ma Lu said.

    "How many portions of ingredients did you prepare?"

    "One hundred and fifty."

    "......"

    Little Brother Yang opened his mouth, about to say something, when Old Wang''s voice came from the kitchen, "It''s ready."

    Ma Lu got up, carried out the freshly fried Fried Jackal Meat Cakes, and ced them in front of Little Brother Yang.

    Little Brother Yang sniffed a couple of times and muttered, "Smells pretty good."

    After he finished speaking, he picked up the chopsticks, mped a meat pie, and his face changed the moment he took a bite, "Hot... Why is there so much juice in here?!"

    Even though he said that, he didn''t spit it out. Grimacing, he continued to gnaw on it.

    "Don''t rush, don''t rush, it''s all yours, no one''s fighting you for it," Ma Lu hurriedly said.

    In just half a minute, Little Brother Yang had wolfed down one meat pie, then even ate the side dishes on the te, and looked up, "Another one!"

    Ma Lu was somewhat troubled, "The rest are meant to be sold."

    Without wasting words, Little Brother Yang immediately took out his phone, mmed it on the table, "I''ll scan you, how much?"

    "18 yuan each."

    "How much?" Little Brother Yang was taken aback, "Your meat pie is only half the size of a palm, isn''t that a bit pricey?"

    "So, are you willing to buy it?"

    Little Brother Yang thought for a moment, silently brought up the payment page, and Ma Lupleted his first sale of the day.

    Looking at the extra 18 yuan in his WeChat ount, Ma Lu felt exhratingly refreshed.

    It seemed that setting up a stall wasn''t so difficult after all ¨C he hadn''t even started and had already begun making money.

    After seeing off Little Brother Yang, Ma Lu checked his watch, 11:25, just in time for lunch, and Old Wang had already finished processing all the ingredients.

    So, without further ado, Ma Lu swept his hand grandly, "Let''s go, off to make money at the stall!"

    The two men loaded up all the kitchen utensils and ingredients they needed onto the tricycle and then set off without any dy.

    Even though Ma Lu had never set up a stall before, he knew the importance of choosing the right location for a snack stall.

    It''s a very simple principle: a ce with more foot traffic will undoubtedly sell better than one with less.

    So before leaving home, Ma Lu had already made up his mind to set up shop beneath office buildings.

    12 o''clock is precisely when mostpanies take their lunch break, and at that time, arge number of hungry office workers would stream out of the buildings, wandering around like zombies looking for food nearby, which would be the perfect opportunity for the Fried Jackal Meat Cakes to shine.

    However, as soon as Ma Lu arrived near the first office building, a security guard came over and warned, "You can''t set up a stall here!"

    Seeing this, Ma Lu didn''t argue and quickly turned the handle of his cart, heading to the next location.

    10 minutester, he arrived at the next street over. There were plenty of office buildings here as well, but more importantly, there were a number of small stalls by the roadside that seemed to be unmonitored by security.

    So Ma Lu parked and was about to set up his stall when suddenly the elder brother who sold smoked meat pancakes came over from the opposite side.

    "Go set up somewhere else."

    "Huh?"

    "We''ve already imed this spot."

    Ma Lu looked around, "But there''s still quite a bit of empty space, isn''t there?"

    "Go set up somewhere else, or it will affect our business," the sister selling lunch boxes interjected.

    Ma Lu then looked at the olddy selling rice balls on the other side, the couple making mini-burgers, even the guy selling lemon tea, who had nopetition with him... all their looks seemed somewhat hostile.

    Ma Lu immediately understood he had encountered a local monopoly. Arguing was pointless; the vendors here had united against outsiders, and it was possible even the nearby security guards were on their payroll.

    Ma Lu took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered one, "Brother, let us join in, too. We''ll just sell for one hour, and we''ll leave right after that hour, never toe back here again."

    The elder brother selling smoked meat pancakes didn''t ept the cigarette, but his expression softened. They had put in a lot of effort to sell here and didn''t want outsiders to take advantage without contributing.

    Just yesterday afternoon, two college students who wanted to sell fruit juice here were forcefully driven away by them. A verbal altercation broke out, resulting in a loud quarrel. Not only did it upset everyone, but it also wasted a lot of their business time.

    In contrast, although Ma Lu also appeared quite young, he seemed much more savvy. However, the elder brother selling the smoked meat pancakes still shook his head, "No, we''ve all agreed not to add more people."

    After a pause, he added, "But you can go two more blocks down the road. There''s a subway entrance there with pretty good foot traffic. I used to set up there before."

    "Alright, thank you," Ma Lu responded.

    Guessing that it would probably be difficult to find a spot near the office buildings at noon, Ma Lu reluctantly decided to try his luck near the subway entrance instead.

    If that didn''t work out, he would have to resort to the sad tale of Old Wang, whose family had fallen apart and who had gone out of his mind.

    Fortunately, there were no more hitches near the subway entrance. The other vendors selling different items were quite polite, and some even came over to help Ma Lu and Old Wang set up¡ªamong them was a man with a Henan ent.

    While helping out, he didn''t forget to livestream on his phone, "Fam, today a new member joins the Guo''s Vige Stall Alliance, a handsome young guy with his... dad?"

    "Roommate," Ma Lu corrected, as he opened the pack of cigarettes and offered one to the helpful man.

    "Wow, jackpot, this lil'' bro looks like someone who''s in for big things."

    The man epted the cigarette and continued speaking to his phone, "See that, fam? Whatever you do, you gotta be smart about things. Society is just like a jianghu, a hero needs his gang, and even Yang Guo needed his eagle."

    While he was talking, Ma Lu nced at his phone and saw that the online viewer count was only 67. He then saw the name of the livestream¡ªZen Life.

    Hard to judge.

    But the brother was genuinely enthusiastic. After helping out, he offered to take care of Ma Lu''s business on his first day to wee him¡ªuntil he heard that a small Jackal Meat Pie cost 18 yuan, and his expression changed slightly. He didn''t mention it again and returned to his small stall selling Buddha bead bracelets, continuing his chat with his online family.

    Ma Lu attached the printed A4 paper to the sign, while on the other side, Old Wang started to heat up the oil.

    Everything was ready; now all they needed were the customers.

 Chapter 16: 16: Father and Son

    Ma Lu and Old Wang had been standing at the subway entrance for a full 20 minutes, but they hadn''t managed to sell even a single Fried Jackal Meat Cake.

    During this time, some people dide over, but after hearing the price, they abandoned the idea of trying one. Others were attracted by the advertisement for stir-fried small seafood from afar and only realized it was a fried meat cake stall when they got closer.

    Muttering, "Are they crazy? Can''t they change the sign?" they walked away.

    As 12 o''clock passed, more and more people emerged from the subway, and even Henan Big Brother''s Buddhist bead bracelet stall attracted customers, not to mention the small stalls selling grilled sausages, grilled gluten, and Roujiamo nearby.

    In just a short while, some had already done seven or eight transactions, whereas Ma Lu still hadn''t made a sale.

    The kind-hearted Henan Brother came over again to offer his advice, suggesting, "You must be new at running a stall, right? When there''s nothing to do, you can still make some movements with your hands, pretending to be busy. That way, it''s easier to attract customers."

    Seeing Old Wang pick up the frying pot and start waving it around, he broke out in a cold sweat and quickly added, "Well, there''s no need for such a big show. Just wiping the stove or moving the spoon is enough. Hmm, it would be good to fry one as a disy, to give people a point of reference."

    "That makes sense!" Ma Lu gave a thumbs up. "Henan Brother is very knowledgeable. Did you sell snacks before?"

    "No, no, I''ve always been here selling bracelets. I''ve seen a lot and have graduallye to understand. Actually, the most crucial thing is that whatever you make has to be delicious so that people are willing to pay. And also..."

    Henan Brother stopped mid-sentence.

    "It''s okay, Henan Brother, speak your mind. We are still in the early stages of setting up our business and it''s exactly the time to seek advice humbly."

    "Then I''ll be frank. I think the price you''ve set is a bit too high. With 18, one could buy a roasted chicken. Many people lose interest just at the sight of the price. In the beginning, you can afford to make a little less profit to get the business going."

    Though Ma Lu also felt that 18 was a bit steep, thinking about the 1-star ingredients used and that these ingredients were not avable elsewhere in the universe, he believed the price was already quite fair. Besides, from Little Brother Yang''s reaction, it was evident that 18 was not an uneptable price.

    The key was to make everyone recognize the deliciousness of the Jackal Meat Pie.

    While Ma Lu was still contemting strategies to attract customers, a voice suddenly reached his ears, "I''ll take a meat pie, boss."

    The speaker was a man wearing sses, looking rather schrly, with a boy around eight or nine years old beside him, probably his son.

    As soon as they emerged from the subway entrance, the boy started moring for a grilled sausage. When the man with sses wouldn''t agree, the boy sat down on the ground and refused to get up.

    Eventually, unable to resist, the man with sses had to bring him to the stall selling grilled sausages, but upon seeing the deep brown oil in the pot, he led his son away.

    After that, they checked out several snack stalls before stopping in front of Ma Lu''s tricycle.

    "All right, 18 each."

    At the price, the man with sses hesitated, and Ma Lu hurriedly added, "We use top-grade, healthy, ecologically raised desert pigs, hormone-free, free-range, ughtered on the spot, and air-shipped to us. The ingredients are high-quality, which is why we''re priced higher."

    The man with sses was skeptical but still took out his phone and scanned the QR code to pay.

    Old Wang then dropped the meat pie into the fryer. Once both sides were golden brown, he took out a paper bag for jianbingguozi, filled it with shredded cabbage, and was about to add some sauce to the meat pie when the man with sses stopped him again.

    "What''s all this now?"

    "Lemon juice and tomato sauce, all natural, additive-free, homemade by us," Ma Lu said.

    "Hmm," the bespectacled man''s expression softened.

    The little boy, who had been fussing for grilled sausages, gradually fell silent at the smell of the fried meat pies, staring intently at the frying pan.

    "Careful, it''s hot." Ma Lu handed the freshly made meat pies to the father and son, watching them walk away.

    Though it was a bitte, no matter what, he''d finally made his first sale since heading out, but when the second woulde was anybody''s guess.

    Ma Lu checked his phone; the time was 12:13. He had to do something, or he would miss the lunch rush.

    After making up his mind, he said to Old Wang, "Fry four more meat pies, put two of them on the rack, and chop up the other two for sampling."

    Though lowering prices was the simplest and most effective solution, Ma Lu didn''t want to go down that path unless absolutely necessary.

    With the Fried Jackal Meat Cake''s Deliciousness Index at a whopping 1.5 stars, it could sweep away 99% of its marketpetitors and fully justified its current price, especially since he could only gather ingredients every six days at the least.

    Even if he went hunting again, he couldn''t guarantee he''d bag any jackal meat. As a limited-time offering, it certainly couldn''t be sold too cheap.

    Just as Ma Lu began to take action, the second sale came to him, and it was a returning customer.

    The bespectacled, refined-looking man came back from across the street and said to Ma Lu, looking exhausted, "I''ll have another fried meat pie."

    Ma Lu looked over at the little boy behind him; the boy was also panting heavily, his face streaked with tear marks, looking like he had just been through a battle. His school uniform and backpack were dirty too, probably from rolling around on the ground.

    Ma Lu mentally gave him a thumbs-up and replied, "Sure, just a moment."

    As luck would have it, Old Wang had already started frying in advance, and this time, it only took a minute to get the meat pie out of the pan.

    The bespectacled man hesitated, then added, "Put, put another one on."

    He never had much affection for these street food vendors, believing that their food was mediocrepared to restaurants and even less appealing than homemade dishes. Besides, he was concerned about hygiene issues and the mysterious sources of their ingredients.

    But with his son insisting on eating from the stall, he had no choice. He picked Ma Lu''s stall because he noticed the oil in their pan was rtively clear.

    As for the price, he also found it a bit expensive¡ªthe talk of free-range, ecological pigs in the desert sounded far-fetched. However, perhaps their ingredients were indeed better than others. When it came to his son''s health, he was willing to pay the extra price.

    The bespectacled man had originally hoped that the fried meat pie would keep his child quiet until they got home, but unexpectedly, after taking a few steps, his son devoured the meat pie voraciously, like a hungry tiger.

    Then, perhaps re-energized from the snack, he started a new round of tantrums, rolling on the ground and causing a scene, insisting on another one.

    Those who''ve never raised a child might never truly understand this sense of desperation. Every time the bespectacled man took his son to and from school, he felt like he was apanied not by a human but by a bear.

    Or rather, a panda that would go berserk, unleashing furious blows and causing chaos around him.

    Though he had tried to fight back, attempting to maintain a father''s dignity, a man is destined to be unable to defeat a bear.

    After a bout of struggle, he too was tired, and seeing how much his son was enjoying the food, he uncharacteristically felt tempted to try a bite himself.

 Chapter 17: 17: Daigou

    The bespectacled man had just taken the Jackal Meat Pie from Ma Lu when another voice rang out, "Um, I''ll have one too, boss."

    The speaker was a young female student, who by her attire seemed to have only recently started attending college.

    "Okay, 18 yuan each."

    "How much?" The college girl was taken aback and instinctively looked towards the bespectacled man, who also felt a bit embarrassed under her gaze, as if the word ''sucker'' was written on his forehead.

    But after taking a bite of the meat pie, his expression instantly changed, as if he''d encountered something bewildering, and he stood there dumbfounded.

    Not until the distinctive chewing noises of a bear brought him back to reality did the bespectacled man looked down and spotted a pair of greedy little eyes fixated on the meat pie in his hand, from which he''d only taken one bite.

    Without any hesitation, the bespectacled man immediately opened his mouth and devoured the rest of the meat pie in three bites, all the while saying, "You''ve already had two, you can''t have more, little kids shouldn''t eat so many fried foods."

    "Then I''ll have another one tomorrow!" The little boy licked his lips, still not satisfied.

    "We''ll talk about tomorrow...ter." The man savored the lingering taste on his tongue, surprisingly not dismissing the idea outright as usual, and then made a resolution, turning to Ma Lu and saying, "Another... another three to take away, no, make it three."

    After speaking, he promptly took out his phone, paid the 90 yuan with ease, and then turned back to warn his son, "This is for your mom, you''re not allowed to eat it."

    The college girl by now had understood that although the pies were expensive, they were indeed delicious.

    She had been strolling around when she saw the father and son scuffling over a fried meat pie, which piqued her curiosity, and she followed them all the way here.

    Without further hesitation, she followed suit and scanned the QR code to pay.

    Once she had the fried meat pie in her hands, she didn''t rush to eat it but instead took a photo of it and posted it to her social circle with the caption:

    ¡ª¡ªStumbled upon a weird roadside stall today, a fried meat pie for a whopping 18 yuan. Let''s see which idiot would buy it; well, it''s me. ?

    Only after hitting the "Post" button in the top-right corner did she start to eat, and then she waspletely amazed.

    The next second, her evangelistic fervor exploded, and she quickly opened her social circle again:

    ¡ª¡ªThis is just too amazingly delicious, Guo''s Vige Subway Station, hurry over!!!

    Shortly after, ament appeared below:

    ¡ª¡ªReally? Or are you just trying to find someone to cushion your own mistake?

    ¡ª¡ªTruly truly truly delicious, I swear!

    The college girl typed as she ate:

    ¡ª¡ªJust now a father and son, they bought five in one go!

    ¡ª¡ªBut Guo''s Vige is so far, and the sun outside is so strong, I''ll get a tan if I go out now. How about you bring one back for me?

    ¡ª¡ªI want one too.

    ¡ª¡ª+1, I want to try, if it isn''t good, I''ll beat you up.

    Most of thementers below were her dorm mates, and the college girl figured that carrying one was as good as carrying a bunch.

    If someone else wanted to try but hadn''t seen her post, she would definitely getintster, so she decided to just shout in the dormitory group chat:

    ¡ª¡ªSuper delicious treasure of fried meat pies, 18 yuan each, who wants me to bring some back?

    ¡ª¡ªHahaha, Little Monkey, are you trying to organize a group purchase for our room?

    ¡ª¡ªI bet you''re in cahoots with the stall owner, ready to split our money fifty-fifty.

    One of the girls who hadmented in the social circle teased.

    ¡ª¡ªYou''ll know once you try them. If they''re not good, I''ll treat you all to milk tea!

    ¡ª¡ªNo way, you''re that confident? Well, with milk tea on the line, I want a meat pie too, and if it''s not good, I''ll just im for my meal. (sniggering emoji)

    The other five people in Dormitory 205 finally decided to ce an order together.

    So the girl nicknamed Little Monkey approached the fried meat cake stand again and said to Ma Lu, "Boss, another 5 portions, no, make it 6 to go."

    As Little Monkey spoke, she noticed that a new message had popped up in the WeChat group.

    ¡ª¡ªJia Jia wants one too, she''s dropping by our room for a visit right now.

    "Wait, make that 7 portions."

    Ma Lu hadn''t expected that after serving just two customers, he''d be able to sell thirteen Fried Jackal Meat Cakes in one go.

    And soon the fourteenth one was reserved as well.

    Henan Brother stood right by Ma Lu''s side, witnessing everything that had just happened, while the online family in his live stream also bore witness to the sudden sess of the fried meat cake stand.

    By now, the number of viewers in his stream "Zen Life" had broken a hundred, with many sending barragements urging the host to try it out too.

    Some impatient viewers even sent gifts, although it was just a lollipop, it served as a reminder to others, and soon there were more gifts of lollipops, doughnuts, cheers, and even a big spender who dropped a 599 coin firework.

    Even after deducting the tform''s cut, the ie tranted to more than the cost of a meat pie, so Henan Brother now had no excuse not to buy one.

    After getting the meat pie, he first rotated it 360¡ã in front of the camera, making sure everybody got a good look, before he finally took a bite.

    The next moment, he triggered his ssic triple reaction.

    "Yi, bam, spot on! This meat pie is really delicious!"

    As Henan Brother made a swallowing gesture, it seemed as though all the pores on his body opened up in rxation, prompting the viewers in his live stream to salivate along with him as someone quickly said.

    ¡ª¡ªDon''t just eat, talk about the taste!

    However, Henan Brother was no professional mukbanger, and after thinking for a while, he could only squeeze out a few words like "fresh," "crispy," and "aromatic."

    Fortunately, he summed it up in the end.

    "I now feel that the price of 18 isn''t too expensive, but if I had to pay for it myself, I wouldn''t be willing to buy it."

    Business in front of the fried meat cake stand was bustling now, drawing the attention of other passersby.

    However, most people shook their heads and walked away upon hearing the price, but there were always some adventurers who weren''t short on cash.

    And those who bought the first one, without exception, never stopped at just one purchase.

    Moreover, having several people clustered around, crunching on meat pies, was quite tempting, effectively advertising for the meat pie stand. By 2 p.m., Ma Lu and Old Wang had sold a total of 39 Fried Jackal Meat Cakes.

    But after the lunch rush, the number of customers noticeably decreased, eventually returning to the state where they might not sell a single order for tens of minutes.

    Ma Lu took the opportunity to rest for a while, setting up his folding stool and taking out a bottle of mineral water.

    He had frozen it in the fridge that morning, putting five bottles at once. When heading out to set up the stand, he put them in an insted box to keep the ingredients fresh, and now he could take one out to drink when he was thirsty. Paired with two Fried Jackal Meat Cakes, it was his lunch.

    As for Old Wang, being a silicon-based life form, he just needed to charge and had no need for food.

    The afternoon passed by in a sh, and only ten more Fried Jackal Meat Cakes were sold, five of which were bought by a local viewer from "Zen Life," who then highly rmended it in the live stream.

    Unfortunately, Henan Big Brother''s number of followers was limited, and there were even fewer within the same city who were willing toe over for a taste.

    Luckily, after 5 p.m., the flow of people picked up again, with arge number of office workers emerging from or heading towards Guo''s Vige Subway Station.

    Ma Lu seized the moment tounch a tasting event, actively attracting business.

    The effect was obvious.

    Everyone who tasted it, even faced with the slightly high price, more than half of them ended up paying, and as the number of customers increased, it caused a clustering effect, attracting even more new customers.

    Adding to that Ma Lu''s vigorous shouting, the meat pie stand not only recaptured the midday rush but even surpassed it, reaching a new sales high. By 8 p.m., they had sold over 110 Fried Jackal Meat Cakes, envied by other snack stand owners.

 Chapter 18: 18 Organization

    10:35 PM, the snack stall sold itsst deep-fried meat pie to an overworked male programmer.

    Perhaps it was a case of like attracting like, Ma Lu didn''t even get up to greet him; the sight of Old Wang''s bald head unconsciously made the man stop in his tracks.

    Most of the surrounding snack stalls had already closed up, even Henan Brother had stopped broadcasting and went home half an hour earlier.

    Ma Lu yawned, and a wave of fatigue suddenly swept over him.

    Since the snack stall was a partnership, and he was only in charge of serving customers without having to cook, he wasn''t as exhausted as someone who had to handle everything alone.

    But including the time spent out buying supplies, he had been up for over 24 hours. Still, seeing the ie on WeChat and Alipay, Ma Lu felt that the hard work was all worth it.

    After ounting for the four meat pies used for taste testing, the four he ate himself when he had nothing to do, and the one that a customer dropped on the ground,

    on their first day of business, they sold a total of 141 deep-fried meat pies. With each pie priced at 18 yuan, today''s revenue amounted to 2,538 yuan.

    Deducting the initial installment payment of 629 for the tricycle, the 59.4 for stic bags ordered from Dodo but not yet delivered, the 115 spent on gas, 40 for the gas stove, 60 for parchment bags, 86 for vegetables and condiments, 30 spent in the dor store, and the 3 yuan at the printing store, the profit was still 1,515.6.

    For aplete novice, this performance was undoubtedly outstanding, and Ma Lu felt there was still substantial room for improvement.

    On his way home, he took a detour to pick up over 900 parchment bags he had purchased on Idle Fish, then took a bath, and slept until ten o''clock the next morning.

    When Ma Lu stepped out of the bedroom, Old Wang had already started preparing the ingredients for the day, and had sent a list of things they needed to replenish via the Traveler''s Bracelet.

    Ma Lu nced at the list and said to Old Wang, "Let''s prepare another 100 servings today, no, make it 150, otherwise it doesn''t sound good."

    Old Wang didn''t ask why but nodded and then updated the purchasing list.

    This time Ma Lu took only half an hour to buy back all the ingredients. While Old Wang was seasoning the meat, Ma Lu went downstairs to the print shop to collect the newly remade sign.

    Ma Lu originally wanted to name it "The Universe''s Number One Deep-Fried Meat Pie," but considering they wouldn''t always sell deep-fried meat pies and would likely add other dishester on, he changed it to "The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall."

    He added four small characters below¡ªLimited Time Offer!!!

    Simple ck text on a white background, with no background image, totaling 38 yuan. Afterwards, he tore down the old sign and glued up the new one.

    By the time he finished all this, Old Wang had also prepared the ingredients, and the two of them set off on the tricycle again, only this time their destination was not Guo''s Vige.

    While the foot traffic near the subway entrance was decent, especially during rush hour, selling one hundred fifty servings yesterday had been a struggle. Doubling the amount today, even with some repeat customers, was unlikely to sell out.

    Moreover, the flow of customers at the subway entrance varied too much with time. It was overwhelmingly busy during peak hours, but outside of those, they could go for long stretches without selling a single serving, which was a waste of time.

    The groups of stall vendors Ma Lu encountered in the office buildings had given him some insight.

    Ultimately, people need organization, and it was best to operate in a familiar territory.

    So this time, Ma Lu took Old Wang back to his alma mater.

    At the graduation ceremony, Chen Mengjie, the student representative from the School of Economics and Management, had said

    ¡ªThe school has nurtured us today, and we will undoubtedly reciprocate to the school in the future.

    Ma Lu deeply agreed and had already taken action on Chen Mengjie''s call to action by upying a vacant spot outside the West Gate and setting up their stall.

    The consistent performance of the school''s canteen had led to a thriving dining scene in the area, and there were many restaurants and small stalls along the street.

    As soon as Ma Lu secured a spot, someone approached them, but they were not there to buy meat pies; instead, they said to Ma Lu and Old Wang, "Move along, this spot is taken."

    "Oh, then I''ll go across the street."

    "There are people on that side too," said the neer, ring.

    "Then I''ll move once the person arrives."

    Ma Lu recognized the man in front of him as the Squid Brother who sold grilled squid at the university entrance. Squid Brother was popr among the students for his distinctive taste and enthusiastic service, even attracting people from neighboring schools to make special trips just to try his food.

    Moreover, he did not only make money for himself butter also brought many fellow vigers to City B to set up stalls, which had been covered by the local radio station.

    However, since more people from his vige hade, there had been fewer other vendors on this street, especially new ones.

    "I''m not here to haggle with you," said Squid Brother impatiently. "Are you leaving or not?"

    When a few of his fellow townsmen nearby heard this, those who weren''t busy also stopped what they were doing and moved closer.

    Seeing this, Ma Lu was neither flustered nor hurried; he even took out a folding stool from somewhere and set it down on the ground.

    "You don''t think you''re the only ones with an organization, do you?"

    No sooner had he finished speaking than a group of university students ran out from the main gate, shouting, "President, President, where are you?"

    One of the sharp-eyed students spotted Ma Lu, and the crowd thundered over.

    "President, howe you''re back at school today..."

    "President, sob sob sob, as soon as you left, those jerks from the student union came to bother us..."

    "President, I''ve let down your trust. This year, the pretty juniors have been snatched up by the Skateboarding Society and the Photography Society..."

    "Alright, alright," Ma Lu interrupted them, "I''ve already graduated, so stop calling me President. Just call me senior brother."

    He then patted the shoulder of a girl in front of him who was wearing a baseball jersey and had dyed her hair chestnut.

    "You''re already doing well, Shen Yue. And stop obsessing over chasing after junior girls all day. The ssical Literature Society should focus more on studying ssical literature."

    "Tsk, wasn''t it by mingling everywhere and pulling in crazy sponsorships that you turned this tiny club into what it is today?"

    Shen Yue replied, undisturbed. "Outsiders call us the Mingling Society or the Freeloaders'' Society. That''s the real foundation of our club."

    As she spoke, she turned to Squid Brother, "Hey, isn''t this Squid Brother? What were you discussing just now?"

    "It''s nothing, it''s nothing." Faced with students, Squid Brother immediately put on a smiley face; these were his bread and butter, after all.

    And having set up his stall at the gates of Aerospace University for so long, he was well aware of the reputation of the ssical Literature Society, thergest club in Aerospace University, with a membership exceeding five hundred.

    They held activities every day, and their group dinners could book out entire restaurants. Offending so many students meant he could forget about mixing around near Aerospace University.

    Those capable of leading their fellow vigers to venture out were no fools. Squid Brother quickly realized he had bitten off more than he could chew and was not vague about it, promptly backing down. He patted his chest and assured Ma Lu.

    "From now on, this is your designated stall spot. If someone else sets up here while you''re away, I''ll help chase them off!"

    "Well, that''s quite embarrassing."

    "No, no, we''re all from Aerospace University. It''s the least I can do," said Squid Brother with a naive smile on his face.

 Chapter 19: 19 Squid Brother

    Shen Yue and the others had by this time also noticed the tricycle behind Ma Lu.

    The current president of the ssical Literature Society poked Ma Lu, "Yours?"

    "Mm-hmm."

    "Has the job market really be this tough?" Shen Yue was astonished.

    "It''s okay, I guess. Not as good as thest few years, but should be better than the next few years," Ma Luforted.

    "Damn, then I''m screwed when I graduate," Shen Yue said with a look of despair, "my college GPA is even lower than yours."

    "Don''t worry, by the time you graduate, my shop should be up and running. If you really can''t find a job, you cane and wash dishes for me."

    "Ha, quite confident, Senior! nning on opening a shop just after starting a stall for one day, tsk tsk tsk, even named it The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall. Right, who''s this uncle?" Shen Yue turned her gaze to Old Wang.

    "My roommate and business partner, a very skilled chef but a bit of a loner, doesn''t like to talk much."

    "I knew you couldn''t cook, Senior, so how did you suddenly start a snack stand? Turns out you''ve got a serious backer. Then I must really try this out."

    "We want some too!" Hearing this, the others also echoed in agreement, taking out their phones.

    "Eighteen per serving."

    "Pfft¡ª" Shen Yue''s wrist shook, almost dropping her phone, "are you here to run a stall or to rob us, what could be so expensive?"

    "Seems like it''s deep-fried meat patties." On the other side, Old Wang''s oil was almost hot enough, and someone saw him putting the meat patties into it.

    Shen Yue also crowded around, "This portion... is a bit outrageous, Senior. Taking advantage isn''t quite done this way. Although we did eat quite a few nice meals with the funds you brought in at the start, it''s not like you cane back to charge us again."

    "Rest assured, it''s absolutely worth the price. Besides, if you don''t eat this time, you won''t know when you''ll get another chance," Ma Lu pointed to the sign that read "served in limited quantities."

    Shen Yue wasn''t convinced, "Seriously, if it sells well, you''d still stop selling it, Senior?"

    "Because our goal is to open a shop, we have to try out a variety of dishes. Plus, we use quality ingredients that aren''t so easy toe by."

    "Fine, fine, fine, I''ll eat, okay?" Shen Yue quickly made the payment by scanning the code, and immediately her face broke into a sly grin, "Hehehe, then, Senior, I''ll have the honor of being your first."

    Ma Lu couldn''t be bothered with her, while the others, seeing the president leading the charge, didn''t want to be left behind and began to fork out money.

    The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall sold seven orders in less than three minutes upon opening.

    Once the meat patties were cooked, the members of the ssical Literature Society gathered around again. Shen Yue weighed the portion in her hand and muttered.

    "This is barely over two ounces, right? And who knows if the meat even makes up half of that. A real rip-off. I might as well sever ties with Senior after this meal."

    "What did you say?" Ma Lu''s voice floated over from behind.

    "Nothing, just saying it looks pretty delicious, I''m going to start eating." After speaking, Shen Yue took a bite and immediately let out a sound of amazement, "Wow!"

    "Is it poisoned?" one of the members joked.

    "Poison my ass. At most, Senior is only after our money. It doesn''t make sense for him to endanger our lives," another person retorted while taking a bite. In the next second, he let out the same sound of astonishment.

    "Wow, what is this miraculous delight? Hurry up, everybody, try it!"

    There was no need for them to be told twice: the others had already started eating, seeing Shen Yue bury her head in her feast, as if she hadn''t had a meal in days.

    The next moment, exmations erupted one after another.

    "It''s really delicious, no wonder the president was enjoying it so much!"

    "This is the tastiest meat pie I''ve ever had! Why didn''t senior start his stall earlier?!"

    "Damn, one is definitely not enough; I need to eat another one!"

    "Calm down, didn''t you just take your girlfriend to Universal Studio this week and spend all your money? Be careful, or you won''t even have instant noodles to eat."

    While everyone was still agonizing over the steep prices, Shen Yue had already finished her meat pie and, with a spring in her step, rushed back to the tricycle, eximing, "Senior, I want another one!"

    "Hmm, you''re not nning to cut ties with me anymore?"

    "Who said that? I can cut ties with anyone but I can''t cut ties with you, senior. Plus, after I graduate, I still have to go wash dishes in your shop." Shen Yue said with a ttering smile.

    Ma Lu remembered that he had entrusted the future of the ssical Literature Society to this person precisely because he valued her ability to be flexible and resourceful, especially when it came to securing sponsorships for external rtions.

    But he hadn''t expected that once she became the president, her shamelessness could be taken to a whole new level.

    However, with that being said, some things had be much simpler.

    With just a look, Shen Yue immediately understood and whispered, "524, the ssical Literature Society now has 524 members. I could hold a poetry contest with the theme of meat pies, and then we could use the funds to buy a fried meat pie for each person. I don''t want a share of the profits; just send me ten, no, twenty fried meat pies once it''s a sess."

    "........."

    Ma Lu was speechless, "What are you thinking? I only asked you to help me promote within the ssical Literature Society; I didn''t ask you to abuse your power for personal gain. And twenty fried meat pies won''t kill you."

    "I could split it over ten times, eating two a day." Shen Yue was persistent.

    "Forget it."

    "No, no, no, I''ll promote for you, for free. Not just the ssical Literature Society but also our ss. I can find acquaintances in other sses too... If you need it, I can even pull up a banner for you on the campus. Please, out of consideration for my loyalty, spare me a few more fried meat pies."

    Ma Lu held up three fingers, "Thirty people. If you can bring me thirty customers within half an hour, I''ll give you one more."

    Upon hearing this, Shen Yue wasted no time and started making phone calls, "Hey, Lu Lu, I''ve found an amazing snack stand that''s so delicious it''s flying off the charts; just give me a movie ticket and I''ll tell you where it is..."

    "Xiao Jiu, don''t you love fried chicken? There''s a meat pie now that''s ten times better than KFC. You help me mark attendance in tomorrow''s water pollution ss and I''ll tell you where you can get it... What, you''re saying it''s outside the West Gate? Damn, how did you know, did Xu Dawei post it in the group?"

    After hanging up, Shen Yue hurriedly checked the ssical Literature Society''s WeChat group. Sure enough, someone had already beaten her to the punch, and now there was eager discussion about the former president''s fried meat pies.

    Shen Yue could only grit her teeth and try to recruit people from outside the society.

    ......

    Soon enough, the Universe Snack Stand was surrounded by students who had heard the news, making Squid Brother and his fellow vigers green with envy.

    Who says that going to university is useless these days? Look, being an alumnus certainlyes with benefits when setting up a stall.

    Seeing how Ma Lu and Old Wang''s stall had sold out as soon as they opened, Squid Brother and the others could only sour grape it in their minds, consoling themselves by thinking everyone was just showing face for the old president and supporting the opening.

    The exaggerated expressions and gestures of Shen Yue and her group after eating the fried meat pies were clearly an act, as fake as it could get.

    Today''s youth, always up to no good, have learned to tter even before leaving school.

    But the food and beverage industry is different from others¡ªif it''s not delicious, it''s just not delicious. Once this hype dies down, with such high prices, surely they won''t be able to sell anymore.

 Chapter 20: 20 Absolute Pacifist

    ```

    It turned out that choice was indeed more important than effort.

    Yesterday at the subway entrance, Ma Lu and Old Wang didn''t sell out of the 150 meat pies until after 10 p.m., whereas now, with double the quantity, they could pack up and head home before 5 p.m.

    The vigorous promotion by Shen Yue and others yed a significant role. It brought the Universe''s Number One Snack Stall its first batch of customers, but the key was still the deliciousness of the Fried Jackal Meat Cake.

    Only then would those who had eaten be word-of-mouth promoters, spontaneously rmending it to friends nearby. The message would spread from one to ten and from ten to a hundred, ensuring a continuous stream of customers thereafter.

    On the way home, Ma Lu also did the calctions for today''s ounts.

    Revenue soared from yesterday''s 2,538 to 5,364.

    Yet expenses dropped from 1,022.4 to 165.7, which even included a box meal that Shen Yue had packed from the cafeteria, which Ma Lu used for lunch.

    So today''s profit was a whopping 5,198.3, a figure that immediately energized Ma Lu.

    Passing a supermarket, he stopped his tricycle, picked up a case of Pure Draft beer, and bought two pounds of marinated delicacies. He nned to go home and celebrate.

    Ma Lu also asked Old Wang if he wanted to buy anything. Old Wang said, "At this stage, I need a kitchen appliance that can quickly dry ingredients."

    "An oven," Ma Lu snapped his fingers, "I''ll buy you one when we get back. But that''s not what I was asking. I meant how do you n to reward yourself?"

    "Recharge."

    "Apart from recharging, we have a pretty good snack business going here. We earned next month''s rent in advance, so our survival is no longer an issue. We can rx a bit. What''s the point of working so hard?"

    "For the exploration and maintenance of the beauty of the Multiverse."

    "Nice, you''re making quick progress, even learning to make deadpan jokes."

    "No, I''m serious," said Old Wang solemnly. "My kin and I have always taken it as our mission. It is also the reason for our existence."

    "Uh, okay... Actually, I''m considering buying a Switch, so when we have some free time, we can y games together. It will offer you another perspective to understand this universe and, who knows, you might also find beauty in it," Ma Lu suggested.

    After thinking it over, Old Wang nodded and said, "That''s possible."

    ...

    In the following two days, the Universe''s Number One Snack Stall continued to operate at the West Gate of Aerospace University. Apart from the fried meat pies, they gradually introduced two new items: vored dried meat and steamed meatballs.

    However, due to the limited supply of ingredients like the Gray Elephant Shrew, Jumping Mouse, and ck-Breasted Chicken, the resulting dried meat totaled only 12 pounds and there were only 34 meatballs.

    Combined, the two items sold for just over a thousand, and by the fourth day, the stock of jackal meat was also running low.

    Ma Lu opened the fridge, which now contained just 2 Angr Belly ck Swift Snakes, 1 Sand-Spray Qiang, and 23 Young me Lizards.

    These creatures were not suitable for dishes that could be easily sold directly, and there wasn''t arge quantity of them either.

    Ma Lu decided to simply keep them for his own consumption.

    Over four days, the Universe''s Number One Snack Stall turned a total profit of 14,764.3. The astonishing profits were due not only to the absence of both rent and staff costs typically associated with a mobile stall partnership but also because the main meat ingredients were all brought back by Ma Lu from another universe and cost nothing.

    The main expense was the cost of electricity.

    Old Wang, who was already a strategic partner of the national power grid, had now added a Bug Egg, which needed to be charged before each use.

    In just four short days, the man and egg together had racked up more than two thousand yuan in electricity costs.

    ```

    ```

    However,pared to the contributions they made, the investment was quite worthwhile.

    With the date approaching, Ma Lu paid next month''s rent in advance and then bought a 500-liter freezer on PDD to put on the balcony.

    The current fridge at home was left by thendlord, with a single door and a capacity of only 200 liters. For someone like Ma Lu who seldom cooked, it was sufficient for storing some beverages and leftovers, but relying on it to freeze ingredients was not practical.

    Just therge amount of meat Ma Lu brought backst time was piling up in the kitchen, leaving no room to store it, let alone in the fridge.

    The meat ended up back in the Collection Bag, taking out as much as needed each time. ording to Old Wang, the preservation effect of this piece of equipment was actually better than a fridge.

    But as Ma Lu''s outings increased, so did the variety of collected ingredients. There were bound to be items that couldn''t be cooked immediately or were not suitable for cooking, so it was necessary to have an extrarge freezer at home.

    Last, and most importantly,

    the Switch Ma Lu ordered online arrived, along with a few game cartridges, so for the next two days, he didn''t go out, grilling Young me Lizard skewers while ying games with Old Wang.

    You know, although this item only has a ¡î in the deliciousness index of the recipes, it was quite addictive to eat.

    It tasted a bit like abination of grilled squid and stinky tofu, with a crispier texture than grilled squid and a faint sulfuric odor.

    The first bite might taste a bit odd, but it made you want to take another one to confirm the vor, and even after carefully chewing, it was still hard to judge. You just had to steel yourself and keep eating...

    In this repetitive cycle, you would unconsciously finish one skewer and then reach for a second without being able to articte whether it was delicious or not.

    In fact, even after finishing all 23 Young me Lizard skewers, Ma Lu still didn''t have an answer to this question.

    It was like a yful and skillful dancer, teasing the boundary of good and bad, twirling gracefully.

    Ma Lu rubbed his slightly sore eyes and nced at the time.

    He should have gone to bed to catch up on sleep two hours ago, but the game was too engrossing, and he identally yed too long. Now he had less than ten minutes left before the next outing to collect ingredients.

    Ma Lu put down the controller, stood up from the floor, went to the bathroom to relieve himself, then sshed his face with cold water, feeling somewhat reinvigorated.

    He returned to the living room and said to Old Wang, who was still focused on driving, "I''m heading out."

    "Oh, not finishing this round?" Old Wang executed a perfect drift into the turn, taking the lead again, but then he was hit by a blue shell and started spinning, dropping down the ranks.

    Ma Lu shook his head; after ying so many rounds of Mario Kart, there was a reason Old Wang hadn''t won a single game.

    He picked up lots of power-ups but never attacked other racers, including AI, always just taking hits one-sidedly.

    Ma Lu was reminded of the first time they met when Old Wang had introduced himself in the caf¨¦ and said he was an absolute pacifist.

    "No, I have to work now. I have an appointment on the other side, can''t keep them waiting too long. And this time, we need to hunt more prey to ensure our food supply for the next week."

    Ma Lu made sure the Collection Bag, Chef''s Knife, and the Gift of Destiny were with him, then dug out a Bug Egg from a pile of snacks.

    "After I leave, you can y Animal Crossing; that''s more suitable for you."

    After speaking, Ma Lu sat cross-legged on the sofa, cing the Bug Egg on top of his head just like thest time. He focused his breath, entering a state of meditation.

    Then he uttered the phrase, "Across the universe, Egg Egg Highway!"

    The white egg on top of his head immediately jolted in response to his call, sending him once again onto that Egg Egg Highway.

    ```

 Chapter 21: 21: Strange Object Store

    Ma Lu stepped from the cool, air-conditioned living room directly into the sweltering heat of the desert.

    Looking around, he saw the same destion and monotony as always.

    However, his previous experiences had made him realize that the ce wasn''t as lifeless as it seemed on the surface.

    He looked around, not seeing Boggy anywhere, but he wasn''t too surprised; it was difficult to pinpoint locations in the desert, and besides, he had given Boggy two positions before he leftst time.

    Even Ma Lu didn''t know where the Bug Egg had transported him; all he could do now was wait for Boggy to find him.

    Climbing atop a nearby dune, Ma Lu found a conspicuous spot to sit cross-legged, but soon the sand beneath him was so hot he had to stand up again.

    To divert his attention from the pervasive heat, he checked his character status on his wristband.

    All the blessings he had umtedst time were reset to zero after he left, leaving the disypletely empty.

    The good news was that the effect of [Gift of Fate] was still working; it seemed to automatically engage the Meat Pigeon Mode whenever he returned to this ne.

    Ma Lu also received a notification, somewhat like a summary of apleted level.

    It listed all the blessings he had obtainedst time, totaling 85, including 71 White Blessings, 13 Blue Blessings, and 1 Purple Blessing.

    These blessings were then converted to corresponding points: 1 point for each White Blessing, 10 points for each Blue Blessing, and the Purple Blessing was worth a whopping 100 points.

    Adding them together, his final score from hisst session was 301.

    After the score was tallied, he unlocked a new feature¡ªthe Strange Object Store.

    Every period, the Strange Object Store put 6 items on sale, purchasable with points.

    Unlike blessings, the items didn''t reset to zero and remained effective indefinitely, like the Sticky Web Ma Lu had just bought for 300 points.

    Its effect was simple: reim one blessing from thest set of reset blessings (limited to Purple Blessings and below).

    Ma Lu didn''t hesitate and immediately reimed the single Purple Blessing from hisst session.

    [Mypanions are few: The fewer people in the team, the higher the individual members'' basic attributes bonus. Strength, speed, stamina, and reaction increased by 50%. Each additional person reduces the effect by 10%; the blessing bes ineffective when the team surpasses five members].

    Now, with only Ma Lu in the team, he could take full advantage of all the bonuses, making the twin suns beating down on him feel a bit less scorching.

    Then Ma Lu activated detection mode, starting to search for his old friend, the Young me Lizard.

    Even a mosquito is meat, and besides meat, there were additional blessings to collect.

    Ma Lu didn''t have to wait long; roughly twenty minutester, he saw a motorcycle approaching and eventually stopping in front of him.

    The rider pulled down his face scarf, revealing none other than Boggy.

    "How do you manage to navigate this desert without any means of transport?"

    "That''s a long story," replied Ma Lu, "You could consider it one of my abilities, but I can''t just go anywhere I want. If you hadn''te to pick me up, I''d still be here sunbathing."

    Boggy frowned at this, but fortunately, he didn''t probe further, instead, he took a package from his motorcycle and handed it to Ma Lu.

    Ma Lu opened the package, inside was the set of Hunting Clothes he had worn before, and beneath ity a document.

    "You said you wanted to partner up to start a New Hunting Group, but you disappeared after ourst hunt, so I had to register with the Guild by myself," Boggy said, "I''ve done all the main paperwork, all that''s missing is your signature."

    Ma Lu briefly scanned the document and signed his name on thest page without hesitation, then started to eagerly change out of his current clothes.

    Boggy quickly turned his back.

    While changing into his hunting clothes, Ma Lu said, "We''re all men, is there really a need to be so tense?"

    Boggy pursed his lips without saying a word, only handing Ma Lu a brooch after he had changed.

    "Here''s your Hunting Group emblem, I''m giving it to you in advance."

    Taking the brooch, Ma Lu saw it was a copper flower and recalled that the name of the New Hunting Group mentioned in the documents was Twin Sunflower.

    "If you''re not satisfied with this name, you can change it when we get back to Giant Curtain."

    "No, Twin Sunflower is quite nice," Ma Lu pinned the brooch onto his chest and then reached out his hand, "Come, join the team."

    This time Boggy didn''t hesitate and firmly grasped Ma Lu''s hand.

    As the team size increased, the basic attribute bonuses for both of them also became 40%.

    Boggy felt as if a strange power had been injected into his body, easily breaking through his previous limits.

    Even though it wasn''t the first time he had experienced such a sensation, it still felt incredible to him.

    "There are Angr Belly ck Swift Snakes, Jumping Mice, and Short-Eared Lync Hedgehogs nearby," Ma Lu pointed in two directions, both areas he had previously scanned.

    Both the Angr Belly ck Swift Snake and the Jumping Mouse had been seen before as 1-star ingredients, but the Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog was a new encounter, ranking the same as the Two-Headed Hyena, as a 2-star ingredient.

    Ma Lu had been quite startled when he had first detected it, but the Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog didn''t have the same aggressiveness as the Two-Headed Hyena.

    Until Ma Lu left that area, he hadn''t been attacked at all.

    At these words, Boggy''s eyes lit up, "Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog? Those are rare. In the market, one can sell for 200 Electric Degrees, but if it''s alive, it can go for 280. However, special catching tools are needed."

    As he spoke, Boggy was already rummaging through the storage box under the car seat, eventually pulling out a long, thin metal tube, which kind of resembled the blowguns used by Native Americans, but with an electric airpressor attached to the end.

    Boggy inserted an anesthetic dart into the metal tube, then carefully moved towards the location of the Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog.

    These were the supplies he had purchased with the money he had earned from thest hunt, and he hadn''t expected them toe in handy so soon.

    "Short-Eared Lync Hedgehogs are docile by nature and almost never initiate attacks. But once they sense danger, they will quickly curl into a ball and shoot out the spikes on their back."

    "Don''t underestimate those spikes; they can easily prate 2mm of steel te. And Short-Eared Lync Hedgehogs usually don''t shoot just one spike. There are at least a dozen, and if you face them directly and are slow to escape, you can easily get hit."

    Boggy quietly exined to Ma Lu, unsure where this mysterious fellow had sprung from. However, it was evident Ma Lu had not attended Hunter School and knew very little about the desert and the animals that lived there.

    In the past, it might have been okay, but now Ma Lu was a registered Hunter and also the Deputy Leader of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group; he needed to understand these basic things.

    At first, Boggy was worried Ma Lu wouldn''t have the patience for this.

    Generally, the stronger one''s Psychic Power, the less interest they have in these arduous knowledge points that require rote memorization.

    After all, most of the time,rge Hunting Groups operate collectively, with a dedicatedmander. The members simply follow orders and fight.

    Fortunately, there was no sign of impatience on Ma Lu''s face; instead, he listened with great interest and asionally asked questions.

    The two of them soon found the Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog and approached the target from downwind, keeping their bodies as low as possible and crawling on the sand.

    Boggy aimed with the long metal tube, and once the wind stopped, he immediately shot out the anesthetic dart!

 Chapter 22: 22: The Bloodsucking Tail Weasel Group

    The tranquilizer needle stuck into the pink buttocks of the Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog!

    Suddenly attacked, the Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog instinctively curled up into a ball, and its spiny needles stood erect on its back, glistening with a metallic sheen in the sunlight.

    But it couldn''t find the attacker immediately and therefore didn''t shoot its deadly Thorns. With just that slight hesitation, the tranquilizer began to take effect.

    Its tense body gradually rxed, it took a couple of staggering steps on its short legs, and then, like a drunkard, it copsed on the ground and fell into a heavy sleep.

    Boggy waited a while longer to ensure that the Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog waspletely unconscious before approaching it, securing it, and throwing it into a Collection Bag.

    Ma Lu''s kitchen knife was already itching for action. 2-star ingredients could contribute blessings of at least a blue quality, and there was a good chance of scoring a purple jackpot.

    However, there was a 40% price difference between the Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog when it was alive and after it died, so Boggy certainly hoped to bring it back alive if at all possible.

    Since they were a team, they had to consider each other''s views, and since the thing was on the motorbike anyways, there was no rush to deliver the finishing blow when needed.

    Afterward, Boggy also caught two Angr Belly ck Swift Snakes, but unfortunately, he was toote to act, and a burrow of Jumping Mice had already been devoured by them.

    Having fed, the two Angr Belly ck Swift Snakes didn''t hurry to leave butzily sprawled over the mouse burrow, saving Boggy a lot of effort.

    After hunting the game in this area, the two mounted the motorcycle and continued deeper into the desert.

    Ma Lu had confirmed with Boggy that his current location was very close to where he left offst time.

    Boggy also mentioned that the farther away they were from the Giant Curtain, the more frequent the prey''s activities, and the greater the chances of encountering rare game.

    The results of the bracelet scan confirmed this point.

    If it hadn''t been for an idental encounter with a group of Two-Headed Hyenas, the two would only have bagged some 1-star ingredients during theirst hunt, but this time they stumbled upon 2-star ingredients right from the start.

    And it wasn''t by chance. Forty minutester, they encountered a group of Bloodsucking Tail Weasels.

    They were feasting on the carcass of an animal under the dunes, which resembled a camel from another ne of existence, but it was muchrger in size, close to an adult Asian Elephant, and had sharp fangs.

    "Three-humped Wolf Camel."

    Boggy put down the binocrs, "In terms of strength, it was even above the group of Bloodsucking Tail Weasels. It must have died before encountering them, which allowed those guys to take advantage of its carcass."

    Ma Lu saw Boggy''s eyes flicker and raised his eyebrows, "What, you have an idea?"

    "Yeah. The meat of the Three-humped Wolf Camel is very valuable, but it looks like it''s started to rot already, so it''s no good now. But there''s still a group of Bloodsucking Tail Weasels; they''re very popr in restaurants."

    "But... aren''t there too many of them?"

    Ma Lu hadn''t counted them carefully, just nced over and felt that there were at least forty or fifty Bloodsucking Tail Weasels.

    They were clinging like leeches to the dead Three-humped Wolf Camel, asionally squirming a bit.

    If it were any other time and Boggy saw so many Bloodsucking Tail Weasels, he would have turned tail and run as far as he could.

    Especially since joining the Harpist, his experiences had made him doubt whether he could truly be a Hunter.

    It was only six days ago, when trapped in a desperate situation and fighting off a pack of hyenas, that he regained the confidence he had lost long ago.

    The most critical was Ma Lu''s peculiar psychic power known as Meat Pigeon, which significantly boosted his strength, and thus Boggy''s courage grew as well.

    "It definitely won''t work to confront them head-on, but we can try to lure some over. Bloodsucking Tail Weasels are especially sensitive to the scent of blood, particrly fresh blood. Moreover, their strength, stamina, speed, and intelligence are all inferior to the Two-Headed Hyenas. As long as we are careful not to get surrounded, they are rtively easy to deal with.

    "In addition, I will keep the motorcycle running. If the situation turns south, we can retreat immediately."

    Seeing that Boggy had considered all possible scenarios, Ma Lu had no objections.

    After that, Boggyid out several traps before carefully approaching the group of Bloodsucking Tail Weasels with an Angr Belly ck Swift Snake, stopping about seventy steps away from them.

    He used a small knife to chop off the snake''s head and then doubled back.

    While retreating, Boggy kept an eye on the movements on the other side. He saw dozens of Bloodsucking Tail Weasels suddenly raise their heads, their blood-red eyes scanning around.

    He immediately covered the snake''s wound with his hand and quickened his pace, shifting from a brisk walk to a jog.

    As the scent of blood in the air faded again, some of the Bloodsucking Tail Weasels stopped their restlessness and continued feasting on the Three-humped Wolf Camel. However, seven of them were called by the allure of fresh blood and left the group, following the scent toward him.

    When they came closer, Boggy slightly released the snake''s wound, making the Bloodsucking Tail Weasels excited and elerating their pace.

    Packing away the Angr Belly ck Swift Snake, Boggy grasped the Mechanical Spear and crouched behind a small sand dune. As the Bloodsucking Tail Weasels drew near, he thrust his spear suddenly.

    It struck the leading weasel squarely, and with his enhanced strength being terrifying, the spear continued, also stabbing another Bloodsucking Tail Weasel in the abdomen!

    With one spear thrust, Boggy had taken down two preys, but the remaining Bloodsucking Tail Weasels were not frightened. Instead, they became even more agitated.

    The blood of theirpanions was blood all the same, holding fatal attraction for them. One of the weasels even pounced toward the Mechanical Spear in Boggy''s hand to lick the blood, but ended up impaling itself.

    The other four Bloodsucking Tail Weasels were not so foolish and charged at Boggy. However, two of them had not even reached him before triggering an Animal Trap buried in the sand. With a snap, their necks were caught in toothed steel cors, rendering them immobile.

    Dealing with the remaining two weasels was easy for Boggy; he stepped on one''s neck with his boot, and as the other lunged at him, he reached out and grabbed its throat with lightning speed, violently throwing it to the ground!

    The Bloodsucking Tail Weasel was severely shaken by the throw. Before it could get up, Boggy had already speared it to death with the Mechanical Spear.

    Ma Lu was not idle either; he picked up the dead Bloodsucking Tail Weasels at top speed and threw them into the Collection Bag. Then he and Boggy got on the motorcycle and left before the other weasels were lured by the smell of blood.

    And when those Bloodsucking Tail Weasels lost their target and calmed down, returning to feed on the Three-humped Wolf Camel carcass, the two men quietly returned.

    Boggy repeated his trick, tempting a few Bloodsucking Tail Weasels away from the pack with fresh blood... After repeating this process several times, he soon reduced the group to fewer than twenty.

    Unlike previous hunts, Boggy wasn''t very tired after several battles. Instead, he felt as if he was getting stronger with each fight.

    This was no illusion; his strength, speed, stamina, and reflexes had indeed all improved to varying degrees duringbat.

    Such psychic power, where sacrificing opponents continuously enhanced one''s strength, was something Boggy had never heard of before.

    Is this... the power of Meat Pigeon?

    Facing thest arriving Bloodsucking Tail Weasels, Boggy no longer ran. He charged into the weasel group, letting the Mechanical Spear dance freely, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper.

    A blood rain floated in the sky, a sight rare to witness. The Bloodsucking Tail Weasels, however, had no interest in appreciating it, and before long, they ally obediently on the ground.

    Boggy, holding the Mechanical Spear, still felt unsatisfied. He turned to look back at the instigator of it all, Ma Lu, who was simply standing in ce but seemed busier than him, constantly jabbing and pointing at the air.

 Chapter 23: 23 Patterns Take Shape

    Ma Lu was indeed very busy now.

    Alerts from the Traveler''s Bracelet kepting, with 54 blessings shing past in a short span of three minutes, some of which Ma Lu didn''t even have time to look at closely because the 60-second countdown was about to end.

    He could only skim over them as quickly as possible and then rely on his intuition.

    Three minutester, 17 new blessings were added to the character status bar, plus the 29 blessings obtained in three separate asions before, the group of Bloodsucking Tail Weasels contributed a total of 45 blessings to the team.

    Among them, 15 were rted to basic attributes, 19 were rted to psychic power, and 11 were either unclear in meaning or difficult to trigger.

    Most of these blessings were blue, but there were three purple ones, which were:

    [The Last Rampart: There''s a 33% chance for a team member''s shield topletely block one instance of damage when it gets damaged.]

    [Charge with Hits: When team members adopt a defensive stance in battle, each hit they take increases their strength by 10%. The effect is umtive and resets afterunching an attack.]

    [Endless Blood Flow: There''s a 33% chance for the whole team''s attacks to trigger a bleeding state, under which the target''s bleeding amount increases by 100%.]

    [The Last Rampart] and [Endless Blood Flow] are superior recements for the blue blessings [The Final Stand] and [Localized Bleeding].

    The effect was improved from the original 15% to 33%; although it still involved an element of luck, it was easier to trigger and significantly more practical.

    The appearance of [Charge with Hits], a purple blessing, resolved the issue of the team''s insufficient firepower.

    With these three purple blessings at the core,plemented by some blue blessings, a routine based on Boggy''s exclusive counterattack flow, that only he could master, was initially formed.

    Afterwards, Ma Lu didn''t rush to continue hunting but instead worked out abat n with Boggy and also tested the newly acquired blessings.

    "Are you sure you want to incorporate my psychic abilities intobat?"

    Boggy had just faced off against a group of over forty Bloodsucking Tail Weasels on his own. He was still excited, his hands trembling non-stop.

    But when he heard that Ma Lu nned to develop his psychic power, he calmed down again.

    It wasn''t that he had never thought about it. In fact, no one wanted more than he did topensate for his fatal weakness.

    Teachers at school had also encouraged him, saying that there was no such thing as a useless ability, just ack of the right situation. Yet reality was cruel.

    No matter how hard he tried or how much he wracked his brain, he could never see what use that thin Water Shield could have.

    The thing had no defensive power at all, and water was too precious in the desert to waste on it.

    Nheless, Ma Lu was still excited, "How much psychic power does it take for you to create a Water Shield?"

    "Creating a Water Shield doesn''t actually use much power. Though it''s shaped like a shield, it doesn''t have any defensive capabilities. You saw it yourselfst time at Little Bear Bar, a fork could easily pass through it, so the consumption is minimal."

    Boggy recalled, "I''ve made up to a thousand water shields continuously without stopping and only used half of my psychic power."

    This level of endurance far exceeded Ma Lu''s expectations and gave him more confidence in the uing ns.

    "So, how many Water Shields can you create at one time?"

    "That depends on the size of the shield," Boggy said. "I can only make one as tall as a person, but if it''s a small round shield worn on the arm, I should be able to create three at once."

    "What about miniature shields the size of a thumb?"

    "Hmm, seven... The main thing is that I need to concentrate to keep them floating in a specified position, I can''t manage more than that."

    Theplete immunity effect brought by [The Last Rampart], a purple blessing, seemed strong, but the conditions for it to take effect were very strict.

    It required the shield to be damaged, which is hard to achieve in generalbats, and when this condition is met, it often means the situation has already be very critical. Thebatant losing their shield, even though they may luckily trigger the immunity effect, would find the followingbat much more difficult.

    ```

    It was more like ast-ditch life-saving card that hinged on luck.

    However, it unexpectedly matched up well with Boggy''s psychic power.

    The biggest issue with Boggy''s Water Shield was that it had absolutely no defensive power, the moment it was attacked, it would surely be damaged, but precisely because of that, it easily met the activation requirements of [The Last Bastion].

    As for losing the Water Shield, it hardly affected Boggy at all. He could instantly create another one, no, not just one.

    Ma Lu felt that he had found the correct way to use [The Last Bastion].

    "From now on, you can create as many Water Shields as possible duringbat."

    "Hm?"

    "A single Water Shield has only a 33% chance of blocking an iing strike, but if you put up two Water Shields at once, the chance of damage prevention rises to 54%, and with three, it reaches 71%... With seven, the number goes up to 95%!

    "That way, you can almost always reliably trigger damage immunity when defending. Even if you are really unlucky and fall into the remaining 5%, with your reaction speed which has now been enhanced, you''ll be able to dodge most attacks before they hit.

    "Furthermore, each Water Shield can activate another Purple Blessing, [Charge with Hits], when it is struck. If every Water Shield gives you a 10% increase in strength, then in theory, you could gain a maximum boost of 70% in strength with each hit. That''s practically cheating."

    To verify the feasibility of this n and also help Boggy get used to his newbat style, Ma Lu even devised a special training regimen for him.

    Although Boggy himself was dubious about this seemingly masochistic strategy, he was eventually convinced by something Ma Lu said.

    "I have already enhanced your Water Shield. If you want to keep moving forward and hunt rarer prey, you must make good use of your psychic power."

    As a Hunter, of course, one would want to take on more formidable prey, not just for the lucrative rewards and fame, but also because it''s a drive ingrained in the very genes of every Hunter.

    Even with the risks, Hunting Groups bothrge and small from the Giant Curtain were undeterred and continually pressed deeper into the desert.

    Boggy was no exception.

    Furthermore, he had once vowed to follow in that person''s footsteps.

    But after some thought, Boggy still voiced his concern, "Even if I''m willing to use my psychic power, there''s not that much water to use here."

    The water Boggy had brought on this trip was enough for two people for two days, but if it were used inbat, it would probably onlyst for one or two fights.

    "Don''t worry, I''ve already taken that into ount, otherwise, I wouldn''t have focused so much on the bleeding effects among the various abnormal states."

    Ma Lu winked at him.

    "The water content in blood is as high as 85%, which should be sufficient for you to craft shields."

    The third Purple Blessing, [Endless Blood Flow], was meant for this purpose.

    "Blood?" Boggy was taken aback, butter had to admit that Ma Lu''s overall n did have considerable feasibility.

    With thest obstacle gone, Boggy finally agreed to join Ma Lu''s intensive training program.

    The training sessionsted a full two hours.

    It allowed Ma Lu to get a good grasp of how to use the Blessings and theirbined effects, while also letting Boggy gradually get ustomed to and master the routine.

    The defensive¡ªcharge¡ªcounterattack tactic wasn''tplicated, and for a diligent and studious top student like Boggy, there was hardly any difficulty in getting the hang of it.

    The more he practiced, the more Boggy realized the astonishing potential contained within, and the significant role that telekinesis could y inbat.

    It was something he had never experienced in his past seventeen years, and it made Boggy determined.

    "I think we can go a bit farther now."

    ```

 Chapter 24: 24 3-Star Ingredients

    Boggy pulled out an already yellowed and tattered map from the storage box, pointing to a light yellow area on it, "We are here now, in the Level 1 Hunting Area, which is also the activity zone for some small hunting groups."

    "If we go further, we''ll enter the Level 2 Hunting Area, where the game is more abundant and also more dangerous. The guild rmends that hunting teams with some experience and at least four members should enter, but with our current strength, we should already be up to the challenge."

    Ma Lu took a look and curiously pointed to the corner of the map, which had turned so red it was almost ck, "What about this ce?"

    "Death Forbidden Zone, only the elite hundred-person teams from Diamond Level Hunting Groups dare to enter after making thorough preparations. Even so, the mortality rate from hunting remains incredibly high each time."

    Boggy paused and then added, "Golden Leopards also live there."

    He had no expression on his face when he said these words, but his clenched fists betrayed his true feelings.

    Ma Lu patted his shoulder, "Don''t worry, the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group will hunt in this area sooner orter."

    That ce was clearly a high-level monsters'' activity map, meaning there would be good loot dropping there.

    "It''s too dangerous," Boggy shook his head.

    "No worries, I''m not afraid of dying. As long as you''re ready, we can set off at any time."

    For Ma Lu, death was not a concern; at worst, he''d lose some ingredients and the trip would be in vain. Compared to the potential gains, this risk was nothing.

    Boggy shivered at his words but didn''t say anything further, just gave a grunt of acknowledgment. Then he packed up the map, started the motorbike, and carried Ma Lu towards the Level 2 Hunting Area.

    As soon as the two of them entered the Level 2 Hunting Area, the Traveler''s Bracelet reacted.

    Ding! Congrattions on discovering a 3-star ingredient [Giant w Lord]. [Giant w Lord]''spendium has been unlocked.

    New prey had appeared, and this time it was a high 3-star.

    Ma Lu shared this information with Boggy, whose expression instantly became stern, yet he didn''t turn the motorbike around.

    The Giant w Lord was undeniably strong, stronger than any game they had encountered before, and it was precisely for this reason that Boggy could better gauge his current strength.

    To see just how much he had improved.

    As Boggy was pondering how to find the Giant w Lord, the ground suddenly started to tremble.

    A huge w pincer emerged from the ground, aiming at the motorbike. If it got caught in that thing, Boggy had no doubt it would instantly turn the motorbike into two halves.

    At that point, they would have to walk back to the Giant Curtain on foot.

    However, facing this sudden crisis, Boggy did not panic. With superhuman reflexes, he took the initiative and utilized his Psychic Power.

    Using the water in his pouch, he hastily created seven small shields the size of a thumb.

    The w easily crushed the first three shields without encountering any resistance until it hit the fourth one, triggering [The Last Bastion]''s damage-immunity effect, and the pincer abruptly slowed down.

    Boggy drove the motorbike, deftly slipping through the gap created by the momentary stall.

    The creature underground seemed to be taken aback, but it was quick tounch a second wave of attacks, which Boggy still countered with water shields.

    After several attempts, the Giant w Lord, frustrated at being so close yet unable to catch its prey, evidently grew angry.

    Switching from pinching to smashing, the huge w pincer came crashing down from the sky, aiming a vicious blow at the two men on the ground!

    Yet, even in the face of this catastrophic strike, it was ultimately blocked by the defenseless water shields.

    The Giant w Lord''s full-force strike felt as if it had hit an air wall, and this time, in addition to [The Last Bastion] and [Charge with Hits], it also triggered an effect from Blue Blessings.

    [Turn in Circles: When a team member is subjected to a downward strike from above and the attacker is in a state of rage, there''s a 15% chance to force the attacker to spin in ce, doubling the rage value]

    This blessing had very strict triggering conditions and an oddly vexing effect. The reason Ma Lu chose it was purely that the other two options were even less useful at the time.

    To be honest, Ma Lu himself had never imagined it woulde in handy one day, causing the Giant w Lord''s attack to halt suddenly.

    Moreover, there was silence for a full half-minute, probably because it was busy spinning in circles down below.

    But soon the ground began to shake again, and this time the tremors were even stronger than before, with an apparent pattern hidden within them.

    The next moment, two Short-Eared Lync Hedgehogs burst out of the sandy ground in front of the motorcycle.

    They curled up together,unching all the thorns on their backs without reservation.

    Boggy swerved the motorcycle at that instant, turning the handlebars all the way to dodge most of the spines flying towards him and Ma Lu, but some still struck the motorcycle''s rear.

    Luckily, the bags of supplies on either side shielded it, otherwise the battery pack underneath would have been subject to a direct piercing experiment.

    The title of "Lord" in Giant w Lord wasn''t for nothing.

    In addition to its pair of terrifying pincers, it could also summon the animals in a nearby area that were not as strong as itself.

    Such as the two Short-Eared Lync Hedgehogs just now, and the five Two-Headed Hyenas that appeared on the sandy dune beside them, all summoned to assist by its call.

    In facing the Giant w Lord, protracted battles were the most taboo.

    During the recent series of attacks, Boggy had maintained a defensive stance, and he could feel his strength rapidly surging.

    However, when his gaze fell on the mechanical spear at the rear of the bike, he discovered a new problem.

    The carapace of the Giant w Lord was extremely tough, nearly impervious to ordinary weapons, so hunting teams usually customized special equipment before setting out to hunt it.

    The Harpist had been equipped with such gear before, but now he had left the Harpists to establish Twin Sunflower, and his funds were limited.

    But there was no choice now but to bite the bullet and go for it.

    Just as Boggy was preparing to draw the mechanical spear, Ma Lu suddenly handed him a chef''s knife.

    "Use this."

    Having seen Ma Lu effortlessly dismember a Two-Headed Hyena with the knife, Boggy knew that this unassuming little knife was actually very sharp.

    So he didn''t refuse, took the chef''s knife, and once again used the water shield to block the damage from the Giant w''s next attack.

    Taking advantage of the instant the Giant w got stuck, he jumped off the motorcycle.

    He opened his other hand, grabbed one of the protrusions above, and yanked it hard!

    In the character status bar, Boggy''s strength buff had reached 462%, and with that pull, he yanked the Giant w Lord out from the sand.

    Ma Lu had already seen what that guy looked like in the ingredientpendium; it resembled an emperor crab but with fewer legs and an alloy-like sheen to its carapace.

    The real thing was even more impactful, mainly due to its nearly 7-meter-long body, which just couldn''t be appreciated in thependium.

    Yet, this behemoth,parable to a concrete mixer truck, was outmatched in this tug-of-war by Boggy, who was just over 1.6 meters tall.

    When it got pulled out from under the ground by Boggy, it seemed quite bewildered.

    It kept looking left and right, nearly having "Who am I? Where am I?" written across its face.

    But Boggy''s actions had just begun. The pulling in itself hadn''t inflicted any damage on the Giant w Lord, nor was it counted as an attack.

    With the 462% strength buff still in effect, Boggy bent his legs and stomped on the ground, and the next moment, he leaped up from the ground like a superhero from a Marvel movie, a full 3 meters high, andnded on the back of the Giant w Lord.

    He then thrust the knife into the carapace of the Giant w Lord.

    What was once an imprably hard shell seemed no different from butter in the face of the chef''s knife, and Boggy easily cut out a triangr opening in it.

    Without hesitation, he stabbed in again!

    The Giant w Lord seemed to sense fear at this point and desperately twisted its body, attempting to burrow back into the sand.

    But Boggy, the honor student, had urately identified the Giant w Lord''s vulnerability and cleanly severed the neural ganglia inside.

    The next moment, the Giant w Lord, like a battery-plucked toy, instantly lost its ability to move, and its massive body thunderously copsed.

 Chapter 25: 25: Take Action

    Boggy resolved his opponent before him with a textbook-like perfect battle.

    Seeing this fierce prey, as notorious as the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream, fall at his feet, Boggy felt a surreal sense of disbelief, as if he were dreaming.

    Just a few days before, he hadn''t even been able to scout properly, yet today he had already managed to solo-kill the Giant w Lord.

    This was the first time he had hunted such a heavyweight prey since he had be a hunter.

    Boggy stood dazed on the spot for a while before jumping off the back of the Giant w Lord.

    But before he could celebrate the sessful hunt with Ma Lu, he was distracted by amotion in the distance.

    A motorcycle gang was rapidly approaching them!

    The riders meant ill, saying nothing as they encircled Boggy, Ma Lu, and the Giant w Lord on the ground.

    Before the gang hadpleted their encirclement, Ma Lu quietly squeezed a Young me Lizard he had just found in his hand.

    "Which Hunting Group are you from, and why do you want to snatch our prey?"

    Once everyone had assembled, a bald man spoke up and questioned them aggressively.

    Boggy found the question somewhat baffling but still managed to reply patiently, "I am Boggy, the leader of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group. Where is your prey?"

    "Are you ying dumb, kid?" Another person dismounted the motorcycle, removed her face covering, revealing a woman with a wolf tattoo on her neck.

    She pointed to the Giant w Lord behind Boggy and Ma Lu, saying, "This is our prey."

    "How can you prove that?"

    "Why bother talking to them?" someone said impatiently, "Just tell them to get lost!"

    Baldy gestured with his hand, signaling his men to calm down, then turned to Boggy and asked, "Is that Giant w Lord behind you missing a pincer?"

    Boggy was slightly startled; he had noticed that the Giant w Lord had used only one pincer throughout the attack. When he''d dragged the creature from beneath the sandy ground, he indeed found it missing one pincer.

    "We''ve been tracking it for over a week and had a few battles with it. Its right pincer was chopped off by us, but every time it was in danger, it would burrow into the ground. Luckily, we had already installed a tracking device on it."

    Baldy said, "If you don''t believe it, check its left second leg."

    Upon hearing this, Boggy went to inspect and indeed found a tracker still shing red among the fur.

    The woman with the wolf tattoo sneered, "See for yourself. This Giant w Lord must have been exhausted from us chasing it, and that''s why it ended up here, giving you an easy find."

    Boggy frowned and said, "You may indeed have fought with this Giant w Lord before, but in the end, it was us who killed it. Moreover, when we fought it, it was still spirited. ording to the Hunter''s Code, this Giant w Lord should belong to us..."

    He was interrupted before he could finish.

    "Just the two of you, hunting a Giant w Lord?"

    The eight on the other sideughed as if they had heard something amusing, "Ha ha ha ha, at least make your lies a bit more believable. You don''t even have a Heat Cutting Saw, how could you break through this guy''s shell?"

    "Boss, like I said, no need to talk to them. Just give them a beating and they''lle around."

    A young man on a motorcycle with a skull logo was already cracking his knuckles, ready to pounce on Boggy and Ma Lu as soon as Baldy gave the order.

    Though Baldy looked fierce, he was quite thoughtful and continued searching his mind for information about the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group.

    As siblings, no one knew Baldy better than the woman with the wolf tattoo. She felt a flicker of recognition when she first heard the name Boggy.

    After staring at Boggy for a while, she suddenly remembered something and blurted out, "It''s you, Li''s that..."

    "Exactly," Boggy cut in, "though I''ve already left Harpist and established the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group."

    The mention of Harpist caused Baldy to stiffen. No matter the current state of this hunting group, it had once been one of the Giant Curtain''s three great hunting groups, with many legendary stories attached to it.

    Team leader Li was the idol of countless young hunters.

    Unfortunately, Li had died a few years ago, and after that, the Harpist''s situation went downhill¡­ As for Twin Sunflower, Baldy hadn''t even heard of it.

    It seemed from what Boggy said that it had only been established a few days ago, no wonder his hunting group only had two people, daring to venture into the Level 2 Hunting Area, they certainly had guts.

    Now that he had a clear understanding of the two opposite him, Baldy also rxed and spoke up again.

    "I won''t bully you, just leave the Giant w Lord behind, and I''ll let you go," he said.

    However, the young man with the skull on his motorcycle was somewhat dissatisfied with that decision.

    "Boss, we can''t just let today''s incident slide like this. We need to teach them a lesson, otherwise, if the word gets out, more and more people will think our Hunting Group is easy to bully," he argued.

    His proposal received support from many others, "Exactly! A newly established small hunting group dares to provoke us, if we let them off lightly, how can we hold our heads high in the Giant Curtain in the future!" they eximed.

    Some people who were quicker to act had already arrived beside Boggy''s motorcycle and untied a hanging bag.

    "Tsk, Angr Belly ck Swift Snake, nothing interesting," someone scoffed.

    "Hey, there''s a Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog here, not bad," another noted approvingly.

    Meanwhile, a female hunter eximed in surprise, "Come here,e here¡­ these bags are filled with Bloodsucking Tail Weasels, there are more than a dozen of them, they should sell for 4000 Electric Degrees together," she said excitedly.

    Hearing the female hunter, greed also appeared on Baldy''s face, "In that case, leave these too as the price for your wrongdoing," he decided.

    Boggy narrowed his eyes, "Are you nning to rob us openly?" he questioned.

    "So what if we are?" the young man with the skull on his motorcycle grinned teasingly, "You can go to the guild to report us, but how do you n to prove these were hunted by you?" he mocked.

    Boggy didn''t reply but exchanged a look with Ma Lu.

    In the next moment, he suddenly lunged out, swinging his fist at the young man''s face!

    Thetter had not expected Boggy to strike in front of so many people and was caughtpletely off-guard; moreover, Boggy''s speed was much faster than he had imagined.

    He felt like he wasn''t facing a human at all, but a cheetah!

    With no time to dodge, he took a solid punch to the face.

    That simple punch burst his nose, and blood spurted out like water rushing from an open faucet.

    Ma Lu estimated that the punch must have triggered the [Endless Blood Flow] bleeding effect.

    The others were also stunned by Boggy''s sudden punch.

    Only Boggy''s feet didn''t stop, and after knocking out the young man, he charged towards his next target.

    A greenhorn, huh? Baldy was still pondering where Boggy got the courage to make a move when already another one of his men was down.

    Baldy now realized something was wrong; what kind of monstrous speed and strength was this?!

    Having dealt with the Bloodsucking Tail Weasel pack, even without triggering any effects, Boggy''s base attribute enhancements had already reached 102%, 91%, 93%, and 120%.

    He had surpassed the limits of humanity.

    In the blink of an eye, Boggy knocked down the woman with the wolf tattoo around her neck too, and she wasn''t even able to use her psychic power.

    But by then the others had alsoe to their senses, and six fist-sized fireballs hurtled towards Boggy''s body.

    However, three of them were blocked by blood shields the size of thumbnail caps, and with just a slight sidestep, Boggy easily avoided the remaining three.

    Then he locked his gaze on the person who had released the fireballs, the same female hunter who had discovered the Bloodsucking Tail Weasels in his motorcycle bags. Stared down by him, she inexplicably panicked and even pronounced the spell wrong.

    Just as Boggy was about to charge at her, a chain formed of yellow sand suddenly wrapped around Boggy''s right leg.

 Chapter 26: 26: One Punch Man

    Boggy exerted himself, yet failed to break free from the sand lock.

    Baldy was overjoyed at the sight and immediately ordered, "Now, take him down!"

    At hismand, the four men moved together, each unleashing their telekinesis; however, whether it was fireballs or wind des, none could touch Boggy, all being blocked by those blood-red little shields.

    What kind of psychic power is this, so strong?!

    Baldy was secretly rmed, realizing that they might have hit a snag today; Boggy''s defensive power was astounding. Even while trapped, he could defend wlessly.

    If he were to break free from the sand lock, their trouble would escte.

    Indeed, at that moment, the hunter creating the sand lock was already sweating profusely from his forehead.

    Baldy knew they could not drag this out any longer, yet he alsocked confidence in breaking through those blood-red shields quickly.

    Therefore, he turned his gaze towards Ma Lu, who was standing by as a spectator, as intuition told him this guy might be easier to deal with.

    If they could take down Ma Lu first, perhaps they could use him as leverage to force Boggy into submission.

    With this thought, Baldy no longer hesitated and decisively rushed toward Ma Lu, simultaneously releasing his own ability.

    One of his arms swelled to three times its original thickness, covered in beast-like brown fur. Underneath the fur, bulging veins writhed like earthworms, constantly squirming.

    Beast-Series Psychic Ability¡ªApe Arm.

    With this move, Baldy could triple his strength in a short period, unleashing astonishing destructive power.

    By then, Ma Lu also noticed that he had been targeted.

    But he was not the least bit panicked; he merely pinched his right fist lightly.

    The blessing in Meat Pigeon mode was avable to the whole team.

    [Charge with Hits] Boggy could use it, and so could Ma Lu, of course; furthermore, no one understood better than Ma Lu how to use these blessings after studying them for so long.

    He nced at the character status bar, where his strength bonus had reached an astronomical number¡ª2162%.

    And all this was thanks to the help of an old friend.

    The Young me Lizard that Ma Lu had hidden in his hand 5 minutes ago, unable to leave, had been tirelessly attacking him, scratching and biting non-stop while also continuously spouting sparks.

    These attacks were insignificant, yet they were genuine strikes.

    So for every hit he took, Ma Lu''s strength would increase by 10%.

    The hard-working Young me Lizard had inadvertently boosted Ma Lu''s strength to its current level.

    It was time to experience the sensation of being One Punch Man.

    Ma Lu threw his punch before Baldy could get near.

    The next moment, the world seemed to suddenly darken.

    The terrifying punch, carrying sand and gravel, obscured the two suns above.

    Baldy felt a dreadful presence lock onto him from a distance, causing goosebumps to rise, and he involuntarily felt as though there was no escape!

    How could this be possible?!

    He had already released Ape Arm, supposedly giving him the upper hand in strength, but facing the punch head-on, he felt as vulnerable as a baby.

    Baldy was frightened and perplexed; he prided himself on being cautious, always sizing up the opposition before taking action, yet today he had misjudged twice in a row.

    These two unremarkable characters, each more deadly than thest!

    However, it was toote for regrets now, and Baldy could only act in haste, attacking in ce of defending.

    Before their fists could meet, the punch''s wind had already blown the sand and dust several yards away from in front of him.

    Then, like twoets, they collided fiercely!

    Baldy felt as if he had mmed into a wall of alloy, his bones and muscles trembling wildly, having exerted his full strength.

    Yet he was still unable to shake that wall by even a fraction; instead, that wall continued to advance toward him, unstoppable, hitting him hard.

    Baldy spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his body flying backward, crashing into a nearby small sand dune, and passing out.

    Ma Lu easily resolved the fight and turned to see that Boggy had already escaped his confines, leaving the remaining three huddled together, trembling in fear.

    Ma Lu leaned in and suggested, "Kill them."

    The three shivered even more violently at his words, and the female hunter who had ambushed Boggy earlier even burst into tears with a wail.

    Boggy shook his head, "I''ll take them back to the city and hand them over to the judicial police."

    "You''re the leader, what you say goes."

    Boggy fetched some rope and tied up the people on the ground, he then turned to Ma Lu and asked, "Why did you want to kill them just now?"

    "These guys live in the Giant Curtain with you, felt it''d be safer to just kill them off."

    Boggy had thought of many possibilities but had never expected Ma Lu to give such a response. He hesitated before saying, "I can protect myself."

    "Hmm."

    "The Giant Curtain has good public order, with the protection of the judicial police. Even hunters must obey thew. Plus, although my father is no longer around, he left behind quite a few friends. However, once we leave the high walls, indeed, some people can''t restrain their greed."

    Boggy didn''t know why he felt the need to exin this to Ma Lu, but after thinking it over, he added.

    "I''ll recruit more people. Right now, our Hunting Group only has the two of us, which is far too few. Situations like the one that just happened can ur easily. If we had more people, those guys wouldn''t think about taking advantage when we''re down, and having more hands in the city would also be helpful."

    "That would be for the best," Ma Lu agreed.

    After the matter of the captives and recruitment was settled, they finally moved on to the exciting task of sorting the spoils of war.

    ording to the hunters'' code, those who attack and plunder others in the desert may have all their belongings freely disposed of by the victim.

    Boggy didn''t hold back, taking almost everything he could.

    He found about 100 pounds of Sickle-Horned Antelope Meat, 7 Red-bellied Rattlesnakes, 4 ck-Breasted Chickens, and a young Wind-walking Prairie Wolf on their motorcycles.

    While the other items were expected, seeing the young Wind-walking Prairie Wolf genuinely surprised Boggy.

    Ma Lu also learned from a scan on his wristband that it was a rare find.

    Three stars, another 3-star ingredient.

    Boggy hesitated before asking Ma Lu, "Can I keep it? Um, you can deduct the cost from our hunting earnings."

    "Sure," Ma Lu replied sinctly. Although the little creature was high-rated, it didn''t look like it had much meat on it. They had already hunted a Giant w Lord, so Ma Lu wasn''t all that interested in the young wolf cub.

    "Are you nning on fattening it up before ughtering it?"

    Boggy shook his head, "I want to train it to be my assistant."

    Ma Lu raised an eyebrow, "You know how to train animals?"

    "I learned a bit at school. Wind-walking Prairie Wolves are smart and very loyal. If raised from a young age and a close rtionship is established, it can be an excellent hunting assistant once it grows up.

    "It''s just that young Wind-walking Prairie Wolves are hard toe by. If you''re interested, I could keep an eye on the market for you, or you could take this one for now."

    Ma Lu wasn''t very interested in raising pets, especially a wolf. Besides, he only came around once a week; at most, he would just get acquainted, making it quite difficult to build a close rtionship.

    Most importantly, Ma Lu already had assistants.

    Apart from the meat, the two also found two sets of Hunting Clothes, likely spares that Baldy and his crew had brought along.

    These two sets of Hunting Clothes were a grade above the most basic set that Ma Lu was wearing. They provided some defensive power and were also more breathable.

    Ma Lu immediately changed into them and called Boggy to do the same, but thetter declined.

    "The set I''m wearing is very good; it was a gift from my father."

    "Alright," Ma Lu said, then pointed at the pile of weapons and supplies on the ground, "What about these?"

    "My motorcycle can''t carry any more. We can store them at a supply point so they can be used for future hunts."

    "Supply point?"

    Boggy took out the crumpled map again and pointed to a location marked with a warehouse symbol.

    "There''s one right here, just a 10-minute ride away. We can store the things we don''t need there, especially the extra supplies and batteries. That way, when we hunt nearby, we can directly collect them from there."

    "You can do that?"

    "Of course, why else would everyone form Hunting Groups and join the guild? A tenth of our gains from each outing is taken by the guild; in exchange, we can enjoy various services provided by the guild."

 Chapter 27: 27 Upgrade

    Baldy''s crew brought a huge gift, but Ma Lu didn''t forget the real harvest.

    Just as he was about to take the chef''s knife to deal with the Giant w Lord, he was stopped by Boggy.

    "How about I do it this time?"

    "Hmm?"

    "The value of the Giant w Lord is very high. It has to be handled properly. If key parts are damaged, it will sell for a lot less."

    Actually, when Ma Lu was chopping up the Two-Headed Hyenast time, it had made Boggy frown deeply as he watched.

    Processing and preserving prey is an essential skill for every hunter. It would be a pity if a high-grade catch lost its value due to improper handling.

    Agreeably, Ma Lu handed the chef''s knife back to Boggy upon hearing this.

    He watched as Boggy approached the Giant w Lord, inserted the knife into a joint, and gently dislodged a hind leg with just a couple of flicks.

    Next, he didn''t rush to harvest the meat. Instead, he removed the remaining legs and that giant w, then opened up the shell on its back, made a cut on a white membrane, and caught the purple liquid that flowed out with an empty water bottle.

    "This is the lung fluid of the Giant w Lord. Just this small bottle can sell for 800 electric degrees," exined Boggy. "However, it''s not a food ingredient; the clothing stores in the city will buy it."

    After collecting the lung fluid, he cut away the stomach and heart, leaving behind the gills...

    As he worked, Boggy exined the process to Ma Lu, and in less than twenty minutes had the Giant w Lord fully processed.

    He extracted about 700 pounds of meat, sorted by parts. In addition to this, many valuable organs were also harvested.

    Ma Lu felt like he had just watched a surgical operation, as Boggy''s movements were both fast and precise, without a single unnecessary cut.

    "I''ve already taken the Wind-walking Prairie Wolf cub, so all this meat is yours. As for the bottle of lung fluid and the other stuff, you don''t need, I can take them back to the city to sell and then split the money with you."

    "Let''s do that then."

    Ma Lu had no objections to this arrangement, yet he stopped after filling less than half.

    "What''s wrong?" Boggy asked.

    "It''s full."

    Ma Lu wasn''t surprised that the Collection Bag had a capacity limit, as neither game backpacks nor storage rings could be filled endlessly.

    However, this limit was reached sooner than Ma Lu had anticipated, considering the 22 Bloodsucking Tail Weasels and various other prey items already stuffed inside. He estimated that this stic bag could only hold up to about 400 pounds at most.

    The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall had already made a name for itself at the West Gate of Aerospace University. Every time he set up his stall, it sold out quickly. Last time, he brought back over 300 pounds of ingredients and sold out in less than 5 days. Although he had 100 pounds more this time, it still didn''t seem quite enough.

    Scratching his head, Ma Lu had to ren and took out the lower-star ingredients he''d put in before, ultimately only fitting 350 pounds of Giant w Lord meat and 50 pounds of Sickle-horned Antelope meat...

    Back at the rental house, Old Wang was already waiting in the kitchen.

    Ma Lu took out the harvest from the stic bag and chose [Colossal w Lord Roast] as today''s menu item.

    This dish had a Deliciousness Index of ¡ï¡ï and could provide 146 chef experience points.

    Old Wang listed the necessary ingredients, but instead of heading out immediately, Ma Lu asked.

    "By the way, can you give me another stic bag? Actually, I collected more ingredients than these, but the Collection Bag is already full."

    Old Wang shook his head, "You can only carry one Collection Bag, and even if you brought more, it wouldn''t increase the total capacity."

    "Is that so? It''s still okay to set up the stall for now, just earning a bit less, but if I open a shop in the future and can only bring back 400 pounds each time, it doesn''t seem quite sufficient, does it?"

    "Although bringing extra Collection Bags is useless, we can increase the maximum capacity by upgrading the existing Collection Bags."

    "Upgrading, Collection Bags can be upgraded?" Ma Lu eximed in surprise, "Then can you help me upgrade it now? That way, the next time I can bring back more ingredients."

    "I don''t know how," Old Wang shook his head.

    "Only Artisans can create and upgrade High-Dimensional Artifacts. However, their numbers are scarce. As far as I know, there are less than 10,000 Artisans throughout the Multiverse, and most of them have joined Creation Technology, while the rest live in seclusion throughout the universe.

    "The chances of encountering them in one universe are less than one in ten billion trillion, and considering our current ne is still outside The Grand Alliance, that number is probably even smaller."

    "So, does that mean my Collection Bag will never be able to be upgraded?" Ma Lu said, stroking his chin.

    "It seems that way for now, but I can try to contact them. I believe I''ve dealt with them before, and I still have their contact information in my sector."

    "We''ll have to settle for that for now."

    After discussing the upgrade, Ma Lu went to the farmers market and spent 165 yuan to buy all the ingredients, handed them to Old Wang, and then went back to bed to catch up on some sleep.

    He had yed on the Switch with Old Wang for almost ten hours yesterday, and then went hunting under the scorching sun with Boggy. He was genuinely exhausted at this point.

    He slept until two in the afternoon before crawling out of bed, drank a bowl of Sand-Spray Qiang y pot soup, and also tried a freshly cooked [Colossal w Lord Roast]. He felt refreshed and gave Old Wang a thumbs-up.

    After a quick tidy up, the two of them set off again on the tricycle.

    On the way, Ma Lu received another message from Shen Yue asking why he hadn''t arrived yet.

    This was the sixth time she had urged him today.

    ¡ª¡ªAre youing? Haven''t seen you in days, I miss you.

    ¡ª¡ªIt''s almost lunchtime, where are you?

    ¡ª¡ªBrother, my dear brother, why haven''t you opened your stall?

    ¡ª¡ªNo way, big brother, how many days have you missed work now? Even the work team''s donkey wouldn''t dare to take such a break.

    ¡ª¡ªI''m dying here, if I don''t get fried meat pies, I''m going to die.

    ¡ª¡ªWould you just say something, daddy!

    Ma Lu typed with one hand on the handlebars.

    ¡ª¡ªI''ll be there in ten minutes.

    ¡ª¡ªHoly crap, you''re still alive, that''s great! Then I want to pre-order a fried meat pie, no, make it two.

    Shen Yue replied instantly and even transferred 36 yuan, but Ma Lu didn''t ept it.

    Ten minutester, he and Old Wang arrived at West Gate of Aerospace University. The spot where they had set up the stall before already had people lining up, probably because they heard the news early.

    Shen Yue was there too, and she had called over two junior students from the Ancient Poetry Society to help maintain order.

    Her eyes lit up when she saw Ma Lu, but she was taken aback when she saw Old Wang bring out the grill.

    "Eh, weren''t you selling fried meat pies today?"

    Ma Lu nodded. Now that he had money, even though the grill was second-hand, he had it delivered to save the back and forth hassle.

    "I already said that the fried meat pies are limited-time offerings. When they''re sold out, that''s it."

    "Ah, how can they be gone just like that?! I have to criticize you for this, senior," Shen Yue protested, "As a merchant, you also have to consider the customers a bit, right? You can''t be so capricious. How can you just stop making a popr delicacy everyone loves?"

 Chapter 28: 28: Deep Sea Supreme Emperor Grill

    "The ingredients for the fried meat pies have run out," Ma Lu said, "and the newlyunched Deep Sea Supreme Emperor Grill tastes even better."

    "Really?"

    "You''ll know once you''ve tried it."

    "Ok, then change those two fried meat pies to Deep Sea Supreme Emperor Grill for me."

    "You need to add 20 yuan."

    "Ah, howe there''s a price increase?" Shen Yue eximed in shock, "You''re not really nning to run a ck-hearted store, are you?"

    "I''ve told you that it''s Emperor Grill now, using king crab meat, selling it for 28 yuan a portion is already very conscientious."

    "Who knows what kind of meat you''re really using," Shen Yue muttered under her breath but eventually said, "then give me a portion to try first."

    "Wait a moment. Who else wants the Deep Sea Supreme Emperor Grill that''s even more delicious than fried meat pies?" Ma Lu shouted out.

    Hearing that fried meat pies were no longer avable, many people showed disappointed looks, just like Shen Yue.

    Among them were those who had tried it once or twice and couldn''t stop thinking about it, as well as people who had heard others constantly rave about how delicious the fried meat pies were and wanted to try it for themselves.

    They had been eagerly waiting for Ma Lu to set up his stall again, only to find out he wasn''t selling fried meat pies.

    But since they''de all this way, and given The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall had built up a booming reputation over time, even though the price was a bit higher, there were still many people willing to try the new product.

    Meanwhile, Old Wang had already started to get busy. He first brushed ayer of oil on the griddle, then poured the prepared batter into it.

    Unlike themon octopus balls sold on the streets, he didn''t dice the Giant w Lord Meat but sliced it into sheets thinner than paper,yering them together and stuffing them into the batter.

    The ratio of meat to batter had almost reached one to one, which made Shen Yue look much more pleased.

    Leaving the rest aside, at least The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall was quite generous with its ingredients, and it seemed more eptable that the prices were a bit more expensive than other ces.

    Old Wang sprinkled some chopped green onions, and as the batter began to take shape, he started to turn them with a bamboo skewer, and at that moment, the aroma also began to spread.

    Shen Yue red her nostrils, feeling even hungrier.

    Luckily, Old Wang was quick with his hands, turning them constantly while continuing to pour more batter inside, managing 24 balls without a hint of panic.

    It was as if he was a distinguished conductor in a concert hall, orchestrating a symphony orchestra of over a hundred people with impable order.

    The octopus balls that finally came off the griddle were golden brown, plump, and round, looking tempting just by sight.

    Old Wang served the balls into a lunch box, squeezed on a special sauce and finally dusted them with a sprinkling of golden, dried meat crumbs as a finishing touch.

    Those meat crumbs fluttered their wings under the effect of the steam, dancing like butterflies.

    Shen Yue got her wish and became the first customer of the Deep Sea Supreme Emperor Grill.

    She took the lunch box, first bringing it close to her nose and took a couple of deep breaths, then broke apart a pair of disposable chopsticks, picked up a ball, and put it in her mouth.

    "How is it?"

    A girl who knew Shen Yue asked curiously, and then she saw the president of the ssical Literature Society''s pupils shake violently.

    "Absolutely¡­ explosively delicious! The senior was right, this time the Deep Sea Supreme Emperor Grill is both fresh and springy, definitely better than the fried meat pies!"

    If it were just Shen Yue alone saying this, given her integrity, there might still be a possibility she was in cahoots with the stall owner.

    However, Old Wang produced four portions with his cooking, and after trying it, the other three people couldn''t stop praising it. Someone even took out money on the spot to buy another portion.

    At this point, those who were still hesitant were also intrigued.

    The meat of the Giant w Lord was entirely different from that of the Two-Headed Hyena; thetter was firm, somewhat tough to eat, and had a strong gamey taste, which is typical for wild meat.

    The former, however, had a much more delicate and tender texture, with an aftertaste that carried a hint of sweetness. That''s why Ma Lu sold it as crab meat.

    Being a 3-star ingredient, the Giant w Lord naturally had its unique traits. Compared to ordinary crab meat, its texture was significantly bouncier. Old Wang sliced it into thinyers, piled up together; when bitten into, this bounciness seemed to double.

    However, normally, the meatballs wouldn''t be as rich in vor as they were now, and the key was in the seemingly inconspicuous batter.

    The batter was made with snake bone broth, which came from two Angr Belly ck Swift Snakes that Ma Lu brought backst time.

    They not only contributed their bones, but the meat on their bodies was not wasted either. Old Wang dried it and ground it into powder to rece bonito kes.

    Hence, this time''s [Colossal w Lord Roast] actually used two different types of meat, making the ¡ï¡ï Deliciousness Index fully deserving.

    Even though it was past mealtime, the crowd around The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall remained sizable. As time passed, far from dwindling, the number of customers seemed to only increase until a long queue eventually formed.

    Seeing this, Squid Brother and others felt envious and jealous. These past couple of days without Ma Lu around, many students hade up empty-handed, asking them if they knew where The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall had gone or when it would return.

    Squid Brother felt that even during his time on TV, he wasn''t as popr, and he heard that Ma Lu had raised his prices again sinceing back, now charging 28 yuan per portion.

    At this price, one could already order some set meals fromrgescale restaurants for delivery.

    He didn''t understand why these students were so eager to be duped; perhaps because they didn''t work for a living, they didn''t understand the struggle of making money and didn''t cherish the money from their parents.

    If they wanted to treat their cravings, why note and eat squid? It was both cheap and delicious.

    Seeing that he hadn''t sold any squid for a good while, Squid Brother couldn''t help but sigh.

    A fellow street vendor sidled up to him, lowering his voice, "Brother Sun, do you think this kid might be some wealthy military elite trying to experience life here? Otherwise, why would so many people be eager to curry favor with him and give him money?"

    Squid Brother pped him on the back of his head, "You''ve read too much web fiction. There''s no such big shot who has nothing better to do than to slum it up here."

    The other man said with a wronged expression, "But Brother Sun, you were the one who said he had no real talent and was just propped up by a bunch of people fawning over him. You said he wouldn''tst a few days, but look at how many days it''s been, his business hasn''t worsened at all. In fact, ever since he showed up, our sales have taken a hit."

    "Fourth Old Guo, do you have any ideas?" Squid Brother asked with a sidelong nce.

    Fourth Old Guo looked around, made sure no one was paying attention, and then stealthily motioned a throat-slitting gesture.

    "You should read less web fiction," Squid Brother sighed once more.

    Fourth Old Guo scratched his head and went back to grilling his gluten.

    Squid Brother knew he was just talking tough; the guy was more cowardly than anyone when the city management showed up, not even daring to reim his confiscated car.

    However, his concerns were not unfounded; Ma Lu and Old Wang''s arrival indeed caused their sales to declinepared to before.

    Aerospace University had over forty thousand faculty and students, logically, the presence or absence of one food stall shouldn''t make much difference, but that''s when everyone''s level is roughly the same.

    Now, with such a standout stall suddenly appearing, it put pressure on the others.

    If this had happened in the past, he could have banded together with his fellow vendors to drive away thepetition, but now The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall was backed by the ssical Literature Society, and with Ma Lu having the status of an alumnus, no one could outpete him.

    Squid Brother shook his head, deciding to wait and see. After all, like the protagonists in web novels, he too should n thoroughly and moveter. All it might take is one decisive move to settle everything.

    Being a vendor was a test of perseverance. Winning early didn''t count as true victory.

 Chapter 29: 29 Washing Machine

    ```

    Ma Lu had Old Wang prepare a batch of 300 servings, and by 7 p.m. none were left.

    The snack stall was still surrounded by many people. Those who heard they were sold out were disappointed but had no choice but to patronize other stalls.

    Some inquired Ma Lu about when they would set up their stall tomorrow, and there were even some who wanted to ce advance orders.

    Ma Lu simply created a WeChat group and added all those people to it, saying he would notify the group when they are setting up and closing down the stall and that they could PM him if they wanted to preorder.

    He then rode the tricycle back home with Old Wang.

    As usual, he tallied up the day''s earnings on the way home. Although the sales volume hadn''t changedpared to before, the increased unit price still led to a significant increase in turnover.

    They took in a total of 8,400 yuan, and taking into ount the cost of a new grill they had purchased, spent 195 yuan in total,ting a profit of 8,205 yuan.

    Ma Lu was very satisfied. This was much better than working a regr job, and the hours were more flexible.

    Back at the rental, Old Wang didn''t join Ma Lu to y the Switch. Instead, he took a rusty pair of round-nose pliers from inside his jacket, held them upside down, and inserted them into the top of his head.

    As the round-nose pliers neared his bald scalp, the hairless area in the middle slid apart like mechanical doors, revealing two small holes that fit the pliers'' legs perfectly.

    With a couple of clicks, the round-nose pliers fixed themselves to the top of Old Wang''s head. The pliers'' legs then came together, starting to blink with a red light.

    Watching the antenna-shaped metal appendage on Old Wang''s head, Ma Lu couldn''t help but think of a name.

    ¡ª¡ªTeletubby.

    However, Old Wang evidently hadn''t seen this popr animation and said, "This is a secret key, used specifically to contact Artisans. If there are any Artisans on this, they will know we are here once they receive the signal."

    "Okay... So, do you have to keep that thing on your head?"

    "No need, 20 minutes will suffice. It won''t affect opening the stall tomorrow."

    "That''s good."

    Ma Lu didn''t pay much attention to it, considering Old Wang had mentioned that the probability of Artisans existing on Earth was less than one in ten quintillion, even rarer than winning the lottery.

    However, the next morning he was woken up by a loud knocking at the door.

    Ma Lu opened the door to find no one outside, just arge box.

    He saw the words "freezer" on it and remembered that he had indeed ordered one online; it was about time for it to arrive.

    But why hadn''t the delivery person asked for his signature? Just dumping it at the door and running off, he hadn''t even had the chance to check it. What if there was damage during transportation, or some quality issue? Who would be responsible for that?

    Ma Lu frowned but still called Old Wang over to carry the freezer inside and temporarily ced it in the living room. He took out his phone, opened the camera, and set it up to record the unboxing process.

    His foresight soon proved invaluable.

    Upon opening the box, what appeared before him was not a new freezer, but an archaic twin-tub washing machine, its exterior rusted, looking as if it had just been hauled out of a scrapyard.

    Online fraud? That was Ma Lu''s first thought, but the freezer was bought from a store on Pinduoduo with a "10 billion subsidy", with over 100,000 in sales. It didn''t seem like a scam.

    Checking the exterior packaging again, he hadn''t noticed before as he brought it inside, now he found that the brand printed on it was Aucma, but Ma Lu remembered that he had ordered a Ronshen.

    He pulled out his phone, pulled up the delivery details, and saw that his original order was still en route, having just entered the city that morning, not yet at the delivery point.

    ```

    So this wasn''t the freezer he ordered, but rather a delivery error by someone else? But after searching the entire box, he didn''t find the sender''s name and address, now he had no idea where to return it.

    Old Wang also came over and carefully inspected the washing machine but likewise found nothing amiss.

    He could only carry it to the balcony for the time being, thinking if the rightful owner didn''t show up within a couple of days, he''d sell it as scrap.

    Since he was already up, Ma Lu didn''t go back to sleep but opened the shopping app again.

    Ever since there was an increase in his bank ount, he started to aspire for a better living standard, feeling dissatisfied with everything. And now, he thought the 55-inch TV in the living room was too small for gaming, and he needed a bigger one.

    Ma Lu first checked out some reviews and advertorials on Bilibili and Zhihu, then used a priceparison app to look for deals, finally zeroing in on a gaming TV that was just released in April, 85 inches, and just over 4000 to snag.

    Ma Lu ced the order at once.

    When Old Wang had almost prepared the ingredients for the Giant w Lord Grill, Ma Lu announced in the WeChat group that they would open for business in half an hour.

    Today, The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall was as popr as ever, and Ma Lu saw many familiar faces, including a very shy boy whom he almost always saw every time he set up the stall. This time, the boy ordered six portions in one go and was already waiting even before his trike arrived.

    "Senior, I am Little Snail," the boy greeted Ma Lu, also stating his WeChat nickname, "I have ss soon, can you make it for me quickly?"

    "Sure," Ma Lu parked his trike and set up the QR code for payment, then chatted with Little Snail while Old Wang was busy grilling meatballs.

    "What year are you in?"

    "Just started my sophomore year."

    "Got someone you fancy?"

    Little Snail was surprised, "How did you know, Senior?"

    "Nonsense, you are always so eager, and you buy six portions each time; it couldn''t possibly be just to treat your roommates, so there''s only one exnation left ¨C you''re buying for the girl you like, and not just for her, you''re covering for her dorm mates as well."

    Ma Lu paused, "Did she ask you to do this, or are you doing it voluntarily? Never mind, it''s not important, you won''t win her over like this."

    Little Snail was still somewhat skeptical, whispering, "But she saves seats for me in English ss."

    "You''re out of her league," Ma Lu said gravely as he handed over the packaged Deep Sea Supreme Emperor Grill, "You''re better off letting go sooner rather thanter, but I guess you won''t listen to me anyway."

    Little Snail seemed to have more to say, but it was almost time for ss, so he could only wave at Ma Lu and hurried toward the lecture building with the bag in hand.

    Shen Yue somehow made her way over again, "Tsk, tsk, are you now offering rtionship advice with your street food?"

    "I just happened to see and casually mentioned it," Ma Lu replied, "Don''t you think he resembles you?"

    "How are we alike," Shen Yue rolled her eyes, "Slobbering over one person is called being a simp, while slobbering over a hundred is called being a casanova."

    "I was referring to your freshman year."

    "Hey, who hasn''t been young and foolish? If it weren''t for those past mess-ups, I wouldn''t have the freedom I enjoy today." Shen Yueughed casually, "Give me a Deep Sea Supreme Emperor Grill."

    "Pay first."

    "I''m a bit tight on funds recently, can I owe you just this once and settle it allter?" the president of the ssical Literature Society asked, face brimming with hopeful expectation.

    "No way."

 Chapter 30: 30 Number 6

    Today, Ma Lu and Old Wang set out early and closed up shop by four in the afternoon.

    Once home, Ma Lu headed straight for his Switch, but after picking up the controller, something felt off.

    Wait, where''s my TV?

    Although Ma Lu had ordered a new TV, he hadn''t disposed of the old one¡ªthat belonged to thendlord, after all. He nned to put it away somewhere once the new one arrived.

    But now, with the new TV yet to arrive, the old one had already vanished, leaving the TV cab bare.

    Robbed?!

    Ma Lu shot Old Wang a look, then went to the kitchen to grab a kitchen knife. However, after searching throughout the house, they found no signs of an uninvited guest.

    Moreover, all the doors and windows were intact, with no signs of having been tampered with by outsiders.

    Yet, the TV had indeed disappeared.

    Ma Lu''s gaze finallynded on the old washing machine on the balcony. If there was something different about the rental today, it was the addition of this suspicious washing machine.

    As imusible as it sounded, Ma Lu felt that of all things in the room, this washing machine was the most suspicious.

    "Are there washing machines in the Multiverse that like to steal televisions?" he asked.

    "Never heard of such a thing," Old Wang shook his head.

    "Aren''t you a silicon-based lifeform? It looks like a silicon-based lifeform, too. Can you talk to it? Maybe ask it?" Ma Lu suggested.

    "You''re a carbon-based lifeform, so is the cat living in the flowerbeds of theplex. Can you talk to it?" Old Wang retorted.

    "Fair point. Then there''s only one thing to do."

    "What''s that?"

    "Take it apart." While saying this, Ma Lu started rummaging through his toolbox.

    Although the washing machine on the balcony wasn''t plugged in, the drum inside started moving upon hearing these words.

    "I knew it," Ma Lu scoffed, "looks like we''ve found our thief."

    As he advanced with a wrench in hand, Old Wang interjected, "Wait a minute, it seems to have something to say."

    "Oh, so now you can suddenly understand what a washing machine says."

    "No, the frequency with which it''s rotating the drum seems like a kind of universal code used in the Multiverse."

    Old Wang stood still and listened for a while, then turned to Ma Lu, "Your Collection Bag can be upgraded now."

    "It''s an Artisan?" Ma Lu eximed in surprise, "An Artisan is a washing machine?"

    "No, it''s just a creation by the Artisan. It can take the ce of an Artisan''s work to some extent. Artisans are a secretive bunch, rarely showing their true forms to others.

    Old Wang paused, "But what we can be sure of is that there indeed lives an Artisan on this."

    "So, you''re saying you''re not the first Otherworldly Traveler to arrive here?"

    The world Ma Lu thought he was familiar with suddenly felt strange again.

    Besides Old Wang and the Artisan, could there be other visitors from different universes on Earth? Among these people, could there be any bad guys?

    But then Ma Lu thought, he wasn''t a civil servant, just a guy who peddled snacks on a tricycle; it wasn''t his ce to worry about these matters.

    "Ask it where it hid our television," Old Wang said.

    "It says it already ate it," Ma Lu replied.

    "What?"

    "The Artisan received the signal from the Secret Key but won''t show up in person, so it sent this thing instead. It ims that''s the service fee."

    "Disguising itself as a courier to sneak in, it devoured the TV while we were not home. Now that it''s caught, it''s using industry practice as an excuse, probably thinking we could never meet the mysterious Artisan anyway, so there''s no way to verify the truth," Old Wang deduced.

    Ma Lu fiddled with the wrench in his hand, "So it seems that the so-called service fee is probably just for its own taking, unrted to the Artisan. Additionally, there''s another possibility¡­"

    "What possibility?"

    "This thing might have nothing to do with the Artisan at all. It might have just intercepted the signal when you called for the Artisan or overheard our conversation that night. Then it disguised itself as one of the Artisan''s creations to scam food and drink from us," Ma Lu theorized.

    "I remember what you said, that our chances of encountering an Artisan were less than one in ten million trillion. Thinking about it now, its arrival seems even more suspicious. I think it might be better to dismantle it and study..."

    Before Ma Lu could finish his sentence, the washing machine next to them started shaking violently as if it had entered the spin cycle.

    "It says it can upgrade a piece of equipment for free aspensation for eating the TV," Old Wang tranted.

    "Deal," Ma Lu put away his wrench, his face breaking into a warm smile again.

    He took out the Collection Bag and, as Old Wang instructed, ced it into the drum on the right side of the washing machine. He shut the lid, then turned the timer to 15 and heard the sound of water whooshing inside.

    Afterward, the old washing machine that was neither connected to water nor electricity began to work as if it were a real washing machine.

    When the timer knob turned back to the zero mark, the lid popped open automatically, and the Collection Bag was ejected.

    Ma Lu wasn''t sure if it was his imagination, but it seemed like the washing machine before him had deted a bit in an instant, its rust spots more mottled as it slumped lifelessly in the corner.

    "Is that it?" Ma Lu picked up the Collection Bag from the ground.

    "I don''t remember thest time I dealt with the Artisan," he said.

    "Then ask it for me what the effects of the upgrade are, and also, what''s up with this kidney-deficient look it''s got going on now?" Old Wang said.

    "I don''t think it has kidneys," Old Wang corrected earnestly, "The significance of kidney organs to silicon-based life forms..."

    "I know, I know, it''s just an exaggerated metaphor," Ma Lu interrupted hastily.

    The old TV was gone, and the new one hadn''t been delivered, but at least the evening wouldn''t be boring.

    With Old Wang acting as the trantor, Ma Lu and the washing machine on the balcony, which imed to be Number 6, had a deep conversation.

    Old Wang couldn''t be sure if this thing qualified as a life form, but it clearly had self-awareness.

    And its intelligence was not low, roughly equivalent to that of a Border Collie. It could understand humannguage but was unable to speak, relying instead on expressing itself through universal Morse code.

    Even more astonishing was that Number 6 could move, using the traditional washing machine method of shifting its inner drum to create movement.

    Although it was slow and noisy, that was how it ate the TV from the television cab and then ttered back to the balcony, pretending nothing had happened.

    The reason it ate the TV was simple¡ªhunger.

    As a creation designed by the Artisan to ck off at work, Number 6 was endowed with two functions from birth: repair and upgrade, corresponding to its two drums.

    However, utilizing these functions was not without cost. Just like Old Wang and the Bug Egg needed to recharge, Number 6 also needed to consume food to umte points for repairs and upgrades.

    Moreover, what Number 6 consumed was not the television itself, but the "newness" value behind it.

 Chapter 31: 31 New and Old Values

    "New and old value?"

    "Yes, the essence of repair is to restore an object to its original state, so it consumes old value, while upgrading adds different aspects to an object, which requires new value. Additionally, to maintain its normal operation, Number 6 also needs to consume a certain amount of both new and old values daily."

    Ma Lu thought for a moment, "I can understand the concept of new and old, but how exactly is it calcted? For example, if I make a slingshot with an old stic band, is the slingshot considered new or old?"

    "It''s considered new," Old Wang answered crisply, "but if the process of making the slingshot only involvesbining the stic band with a branch, the new value provided is minuscule."

    "So the new value is rted not only to the item itself but also to theplexity of the production process?"

    "That''s right. The television it consumed earlier provided a total of 8 new value points and 46 old value points, while it used 100 new value points for the Collection Bag''s upgrade.

    "This upgrade almost depleted the new value it had umted over the previous period, which is why it''s so listless now. If you want to continue upgrading equipment, you''ll need to replenish its new value."

    After Old Wang finished speaking, a metal wire extended from beneath his assault vest and inserted into Ma Lu''s bracelet once again.

    Secondster, the Traveler''s Bracelet activated a new function called equipment upgrade.

    All four pieces of equipment Ma Lu owned were listed there, including [Collection Bag] Level 2, [Chef''s Knife] Level 1, [Traveler''s Bracelet] Level 1, while only [Gift of Fate] was marked as non-upgradable.

    As if knowing what Ma Lu was thinking, Old Wang continued, "Not all high-dimensional artifacts can be upgraded. Some which are initially very powerful, as well as those with little potential, cannot be further enhanced."

    "What about the bug egg?"

    "Bug eggs are not high-dimensional artifacts. They have existed since the birth of the universe. Once enough mileage is umted, new routes can be opened."

    Ma Lu then opened the [Collection Bag].

    Level: Level 2

    Function: Stores ingredients with an added preservation and portable lightweight feature. Current storage limit is 500 jin.

    Upgrade Preview: The next upgrade requires 200 new value points and can increase the storage limit by 100 jin.

    Next was the [Chef''s Knife].

    Level: Level 1

    Function: Slices all ingredients, indestructible.

    Upgrade Preview: The next upgrade requires 100 new value points and can increase damage by 10%, ingredient processing efficiency by 20%.

    Next was the [Traveler''s Bracelet].

    Level: Level 1

    Function: A feature-rich assistant for travel in different dimensions.

    Upgrade Preview: The next upgrade requires 100 new value points and can extend the stay in a different dimension by 1 hour.

    Finally, the [Gift of Fate].

    Level: Divine Artifact

    Function: Inserts a new rule essible to the current holder into the universe.

    Upgrade Preview: Not upgradable

    After scanning through them all, Ma Lu couldn''t help but be tempted; setting aside the Gift of Fate, which was already a divine artifact and non-upgradable, the upgrade effects of the remaining three pieces of equipment were quite enticing.

    The Collection Bag could increase its storage limit, the Traveler''s Bracelet could extend stay time, and the Chef''s Knife had two extra buffs; not only would it increase damage, but it would also speed up the processing of ingredients.

    Unfortunately, 6 only had 5 newness points left, enough for it to operate for 5 days.

    Ma Lu thought for a moment, went to the bedroom to fetch an old tablet that he hadn''t used in a long time, and ced it in front of the feeble 6.

    As soon as he let go, the drainage pipe on the side of 6 eagerly stretched up, wrapped around the old tablet, but then there was no further action.

    It wasn''t until Ma Lu said, "Eat it," that the old tablet disappeared.

    Ma Lu was also witnessing 6 consume for the first time. A 10-inch tablet was actually sucked in by a drainage pipe with only about a 1-inch diameter.

    As it slid all the way into 6''s belly, Ma Lu saw the newness value on the upper right corner of the bracelet change from 5 to 7, and the oldness value increased by 12 points, making him vaguely guess.

    After eating the old tablet, 6 somewhat recovered its spirit, shook its body twice, and even affectionately rubbed Ma Lu''s trouser leg with the drainage pipe, but it still looked a bit listless.

    So Ma Lu went to fetch an old piece of clothing he didn''t like and threw it to 6.

    The drainage pipe came forward to "sniff" at it, then drew back again, until Ma Lu urged it, and it reluctantly swallowed the old clothes.

    The bracelet showed that the oldness value increased by 1 point, but the newness value didn''t change much.

    At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Ma Lu opened the door, and this time the real refrigerator had arrived.

    After unpacking and checking that there were no problems, Ma Lu happily signed for it.

    After the delivery guy left, Ma Lu decided to do an experiment.

    He and Old Wang lifted the refrigerator onto the balcony, "This is for you too."

    6 seemed to hardly believe that such good fortune had befallen it, showing no reaction at all upon hearing this.

    It wasn''t until Ma Lu repeated himself that 6 tentatively extended the drainage pipe again.

    Seeing that there was no rebuke, it finally swallowed the refrigerator before it with great enthusiasm. Its body shook more violently, making noises on the ground, and the drainage pipe swung from side to side, showing its excitement.

    However, Ma Lu''s attention was not on 6 at that moment. Looking at the newness value that had just increased by 9 points on the bracelet, he felt he was touching upon some pattern of estimating newness and oldness values.

    This gadget seemed to have a positive corrtion with the retail price of the item, but not absolutely so, as 6 clearly favored electronic products with higher tech content, awarding more newness and oldness values.

    Furthermore, as an item was used, its newness value would drop, and its oldness value would increase, but the total value should remain constant.

    Ma Lu had no more things to feed at hand, so the experiment had to end there for now.

    Functioning on a full belly, 6''s drum began to rotate again, this time not as vigorously as before.

    "It says it wants to stay and live with us," Old Wang said. "And it can promise not to consume anything without your permission from now on."

    "Hmm, live together?" Ma Lu scratched his rear, "I have no objections, but won''t the Artisan mind if it doesn''t go back for a long time?"

    While taking in an old washing machine with a taste for electronic products was odd, after living with Old Wang for a while, Ma Lu had somewhat be immune to such oddities.

    Moreover, he indeed needed the upgrade function provided by 6. If 6 was willing to stay, it meant the upgrade function was avable at any time, which also made it convenient for him to continue experimenting to find the most cost-effective feed.

    "It says the Artisan made it to serve customers, and in this universe, we are the only customers of the Artisan. It has difficulties gaining newness and oldness values elsewhere and always runs the risk of being dismantled by others."

    "That does sound tough for it."

    Ma Lu looked at 6 again, and immediately, 6 started to sway the drainage pipe again.

    "Alright then, next time we go out to stall, we''ll have someone to watch the house," Ma Lu agreed.

 Chapter 32: 32: Heartbeat Lotto

    Ma Lu had raised silkworms and chicks when he was a kid, and even two rabbits, but this was his first time raising a washing machine.

    Luckily, Number 6 didn''t need to be walked, and it didn''t defecate all over the ce, saving quite a bit of trouble.

    Most of the time, it just sat on the balcony like a regr washing machine, basking in the sun.

    It was only when Ma Lu and Old Wang got home at night that it would rattle its way to the door to greet them.

    Because of this, Little Brother Yang from downstairs came toin several times, until Ma Lu ordered four noise-cancelling foot pads and fitted them onto Number 6, which somewhat resolved the noise issue.

    During this time, Ma Lu also kept buying electronic products online to feed Number 6, and concluded that, for the same expense, a mobile phone provided the most "newness".

    All in all, Ma Lu had spent nearly 27,000 yuan to gather another 200 newness points, and this time he still chose to upgrade his Collection Bag.

    Even though the Chef''s Knife and the Traveler''s Bracelet also had good effects after upgrading, at this stage neither increasing damage nor extending the stay duration was as urgent for Ma Lu as increasing the storage limit.

    Because more ingredients meant higher turnover and profit margins.

    Ma Lu did some calctions and found that this week, The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall had rued 44,492 in revenue from the Giant w Lord Barbecue, with a profit of 43,794.3.

    In addition, the 50 pounds of Sickle-Horned Antelope Meat had been made into kebabs and, after the Giant w Lord Barbecue sold out, had bolstered the stall, bringing in almost 4,000 yuan for Ma Lu.

    That meant he had earned at least 47,000 yuan this week, and if he could increase the stock by 50%, he could roughly break even on his investment in one go, and from then on it would be pure profit.

    There was no reason not to continue.

    However, this meant his wallet took a heavy hit. Apart from Number 6''s electronic feed, he had to buy an even bigger freezer, as well as cover the daily electric bills and expenses on a new TV and game cartridges¡­ In the end, his bank ount had less than 14,000 yuan left.

    He still needed to keep making money.

    Ma Lu thought about the 400 newness points needed to upgrade the Collection Bag from level 3 to level 4.

    Suddenly, it was time to resupply again, and before leaving, Ma Lu received another piece of good news.

    During this time with both men venturing out to set up their stall, Old Wang had cooked almost 3,000 snack portions, and his cooking experience was continuously increasing.

    Especially the ¡ï¡ï culinary rating Giant w Lord Barbecue had contributed 231,994 experience points, bringing Old Wang close to the threshold of leveling up.

    If nothing unexpected happened, he should be able to upgrade his Chef level by next week.

    ......

    [Ding! You have a new notification, please check it in time.]

    Standing in the limitless desert once more, Ma Lu was bing increasingly unfazed. He ignored the notification, opened the scanning feature of his bracelet first, and scanned the surroundings.

    After confirming there were no dangerous prey nearby, he then walked over to a cylindrical structure that looked like a mailbox.

    This was what Boggy referred to as a storage point, built by the Hunter''s Guild for hunters to send and retrieve items while in the desert, with the guild charging a certain fee based on the weight and volume of the stored items.

    Before leavingst time, Boggy had stored a batch of supplies and weapons in it. Ma Lu entered the password, then stepped back a few paces.

    About three minutester, the ground began to vibrate.

    The mailbox-like structure started to rise, with a 20 cubic meter storage container attached underneath it. Gravel trickled down from the four corners of the container.

    Half a minute or soter, the container came to a stop above the ground.

    Ma Lu stepped forward, opened the door of the container, found the Hunting Clothes inside that he had picked upst time and put them on, and then took out a ck Small Hand Crossbow.

    While a chef''s knife is sharp enough to cut through any ingredient, it is limited to a length of just thirty centimeters and can only be used for closebat.

    It isn''t as safe as ranged weapons, and for an ordinary person like Ma Lu who has almost nobat skills, the farther away you stand, the less likely you are to get killed.

    The original owner of this ck hand crossbow was a woman with a wolf''s head tattooed on her neck, who was taken down by Boggy before she could even unleash her telekinesis in the previous battle. Now, her weapon had been passed down to Ma Lu at a bargain.

    Like most hunting gear, this hand crossbow is electrically powered, using a motor topress air that powers the crossbow bolts, with an effective range of about 15-20 meters.

    Due to the added weight of the battery, it weighs more than a typical hand crossbow, but its power has not increased much.

    Boggy spected that the woman with the wolf''s head tattoo might have had psychic powers rted to the crossbow, which could increase the lethality of the bolts.

    Boggy didn''t have much interest in this small hand crossbow, but Ma Lu actually liked it quite a bit.

    The issue with weight could be resolved by increasing his strength attribute, and although he didn''t have psychic power, dealing damage wasn''t a bother in the Meat Pigeon system.

    Ma Lu attached the new weapon to his waist, grabbed two bags of crossbow bolts and some supplies, and after a bit of thought, took an extra set of hunting clothes as a spare before returning to the container''s entrance.

    To his left was a desert motorcycle.

    It was the mostmon form of transportation used by hunters, with powerful electric motors and tracks that allowed them to traverse the desert. Their extended bodies provided ample load space, and high-density batteries made long journeys feasible.

    And most importantly, it looked really cool; Ma Lu had wanted to try riding one for a long time.

    Yet in the Giant Curtain, even the cheapest electric car sold for over 50,000 Electric Degrees, and Ma Lu couldn''t scrape together that much money in the short term.

    It wasn''t until he encountered Baldy and his gang that his motorcycle dream was realized.

    Ma Lu straddled the bike, turned the key, and started up the steel beast beneath him.

    He had already ridden this motorcycle on the way to the storage point. Its controls were notplicated and simr to a regr motorcycle, making it easy to get used to, but driving it well was another matter.

    Ma Lu donned his goggles and drove the motorcycle out of the container, only then checking the messages on his Traveler''s Bracelet.

    It was a summary of thest hunt.

    In the previous round of hunting, he had obtained a total of 60 blessings. Although the total was less than the first time, the quality was much higher. There were 13 White Blessings, 42 Blue Blessings, and as many as 5 Purple Blessings.

    Final score¡ª933, more than triple that ofst time.

    So, when the Strange Object Store refreshed this time, he had much more room to choose from.

    Ma Lu patiently looked at each item, finding the store full of oddities with various uses, yet it seemed like something was missing from each.

    That is until his gaze fell upon thest item in the store¡ª"Heartbeat Lottery."

    Function: Each time a blessing option appears, one blessing at random has a 15% chance to be reced by a higher quality blessing, a 70% chance to remain unchanged, and a 15% chance to be reced by a lower quality one.

    Price: 888

    It''s you! Ma Lu''s eyes lit up, and without a moment''s hesitation, he paid the points.

    He admitted to himself that there was an element of gambling involved. The Heartbeat Lottery gave equal chances, 15% each, for blessings to improve or worsen, and mathematically speaking, it seemed like a busy folly.

    But in reality, the benefits of gambling on high-level blessings far outweighed the penalties for losing. After all, there are usually three blessings to choose from, so if one does worsen, there are still two others to fall back on.

    And if you win the gamble, especially in high-stakes bets¡ªBlue turning to Purple, or Purple to Gold¡ªthat''s a huge profit!

 Chapter 33: 33 The Hunt Begins

    With a new artifact in hand, Ma Lu then activated another artifact, the Sticky Web, and stuck back one of the blessings that had been resetst time.

    As the list of blessings unfolded, Ma Lu noticed something different.

    The blue blessing "Turn in Circles" was shing continuously, and half a secondter it disappeared, reced by a white blessing "Aerobics Enthusiast: The team gains an additional 1% stamina."

    Was this the effect of winning the heartbeat lottery?

    But there hadn''t been any fighting just then, so Ma Lu went back and read the description after the heartbeat lottery again.

    Okay, it indeed didn''t mention that a battle was necessary, only that it could be triggered whenever there was a blessing option.

    And the effect of the Sticky Web just met the condition, though his luck this time was a bit off as he triggered a downgrade in blessing.

    A selectable blessing went from blue to white, fortunately without much impact.

    Ma Lu was about to choose the blessing he had prepared for; he hesitated between [The Last Bastion] and [Charge with Hits].

    Both of the purple blessings had good effects, one defensive and one offensive, and [The Last Bastion] was verypatible with Boggy''s abilities.

    However, considering that he could also use the other blessing and exploit a bug with the Young me Lizard, Ma Lu had already made up his mind.

    [Charge with Hits: Team members gain a 10% increase in strength for every attack endured while in a defensive posture during battle, and this effect can umte. The effect resets afterunching an attack.]

    Keeping this purple blessing, Ma Lu waited for Boggy while once again looking for an old friend, the Young me Lizard, in the vicinity.

    ...

    This time, Boggy didn''te alone; there was another figure sitting behind him on the motorcycle.

    The person had a plump figure, clearly a woman.

    "Your girlfriend?" Ma Lu asked.

    Boggy shook his head, "A newbie."

    "What kind of newbie?"

    "Someone who wants to join the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group."

    At first, Ma Lu didn''t catch on until Boggy said it, and then he remembered that they had talked about recruiting for the hunting group before they parted waysst time, just that he hadn''t expected such quick progress.

    "You''re right, the hunting group needs to expand. Imissioned the guild to issue a recruitment announcement after we returned," said Boggy.

    "So only one person came to apply?"

    "No, actually I''ve received dozens of self-rmendations this week," Boggy''s reply somewhat surprised Ma Lu.

    "Really? Could it be because of your father?" Ma Lu asked.

    "It has nothing to do with my father, everyone is here for the Twin Sunflower," Boggy stated.

    "But our hunting group was established less than two weeks ago," Ma Lu stroked his chin.

    "It''s because of the Treasure Hunting Group," the woman in the back seat said with a smile.

    "The Treasure Hunting Group?"

    "Yes, the ones who had a conflict with youst time and wanted to rob you. They had done simr things before, but the victims didn''t have any evidence, and in the end, it just petered out. But this time, they met their match with you guys.

    "Plus, they had eight people, and you only had two. Yet in the end, they were left looking for their teeth all over the ground while you two were unharmed. Now, this incident has spread all over the city.

    "Not to mention that you two also sessfully hunted the Giant w Lord and advanced the Hunting Group to bronze in less than three days, hmm... it might not be the fastest, but the speed is still remarkable."

    "Ah, so much has happened while I wasn''t here," Ma Lu looked at Boggy again, "so in the end, you only selected one suitable candidate from that pile?"

    Boggy shook his head, "Recruiting for the Hunting Group is a serious matter. I can''t simply rely on a self-rmendation letter to decide who''s suitable and who isn''t. I also need to investigate and check, to get to know the bottom line of each person. These things take time and can''t be done in a moment."

    After finishing his sentence, he pointed to the woman behind him, somewhat reluctantly, "As for her, she''s a friend of mine. I know her inside out. There''s definitely no issue with her abilities, and her character is... so-so. So I brought her along first."

    "Hello, deputy leader, my name is Mai Mai. I''m very happy to have the opportunity to join the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group and fight alongside you all."

    The woman took off her kerchief, revealing a beautiful face. She seemed about six or seven years older than Boggy. She extended a hand and introduced herself confidently, her voice as soft and light as a feather pillow.

    "No, you haven''t joined the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group yet, you''re still in the trial period," Boggy corrected her sternly.

    "To be precise, you''re not a member of our group yet, so you won''t be entitled to a share of the hunt this time. I will pay you ording to your performance after the hunt is over, and all Hunting Group members will vote to decide whether to ept you into our group or not."

    Mai Mai smiled and responded with just one word, "Okay."

    "Oh, wee aboard," Ma Lu and Mai Mai shook hands. He wasn''t sure if it was his imagination, but he felt that Mai Mai''s gaze towards him held a hint of something deeper.

    However, it didn''t seem to carry any ill will, so Ma Lu didn''t linger on it, just curious, "How did you get to know Boggy?"

    "I also spent some time with the Harpist, but I left two years ago. After that, I didn''t work as a hunter anymore. Since I was little, I''ve dreamed of opening a perfume shop, and I used the money I earned to fulfill my childhood dream."

    "Hmm, then why did you suddenly decide to join a Hunting Group again?"

    "After being a perfume shop owner for a while and achieving my dream, I found out that the hunting lifestyle is more suitable for me."

    Mai Mai brushed the windblown strands of hair behind her ear, "That''s how it is with people, when you''re young, it''s always unclear what you truly want. When I heard that Boggy was setting up a New Hunting Group, the thought of returning crossed my mind."

    "But what about your perfume shop if you go back to being a hunter?"

    "I heard from Boggy that you only go out for hunts once a week and it would take about a day to return. It shouldn''t interfere much with the perfume shop business, and the shop is looked after by my sister. Whether I''m there or not doesn''t really make a difference."

    "Have you two finished talking?" Boggy didn''t know why, but ever since he decided to bring Mai Mai along, there''s been an inexplicable irritation in his heart. He took out a card and handed it to Ma Lu.

    "I sold the rest of the Giant w Lord and those Bloodsucking Tail Weasels, including that Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog. This is your share, along with some other misceneous items. There''s about 32,000 Electric Degrees on it."

    "Sure, can you hold onto it for me?" Ma Lu took a look and then handed it back to Boggy.

    He couldn''t take it back with him, so it had to stay with Boggy for now. He''d ask for it when he needed it.

    But with this money at hand, it provided a safety. In case there was a time when he didn''t want to hunt, or if Boggy had something urgent to attend to, he could directly use this money to make purchases in the city, ensuring he wouldn''t return empty-handed.

    "Let''s save the small talk forter. Now, let the hunt begin," Boggy dered, taking a deep breath.

 Chapter 34: 34 Bait Fishing

    ```

    Although an additional person had joined, the hunting process seemed to be no different from before.

    Boggy was still the one taking the lead, only now there was one more spectator watching from behind.

    Mai Mai stood next to Ma Lu with her backpack on, and it was sorge that she looked like a penguin, waddling as she walked.

    "By the way, what is your psychic power?" Ma Lu asked.

    "Electric Field."

    "Electric nt?"

    "Hmm, it''s ''field''," Mai Mai wrote the character for ''field'' on Ma Lu''s palm with her finger, but sadly, Ma Lu still couldn''t understand.

    "But previously, Captain Li preferred to call me ''Basking in the Action'', and you can call me that too, Deputy Captain."

    "Basking in the Action, why such a nickname?"

    "Because I basically need to rest for three or four days after using my psychic power each time, so I''m just there basking in the action most of the time," said Mai Mai.

    "I see," Ma Lu nced at Boggy, who was fighting a Banded Sand Snake not far away, and lowered his voice.

    "I''m not one for gossip, but is there some kind of story between you and the captain? He seems... how should I put it, a bit strict with you?"

    Mai Mai blinked, "Maybe it''s because I once betrayed him."

    "Ah?" Ma Lu wasn''t expecting such a sensational piece of gossip and said excitedly, "Tell me more."

    However, the situation was a bit different from what he had imagined, and a look of reminiscence showed on Mai Mai''s face.

    "Not long after that... incident happened, Harpist''s situation got really bad. Boggy tried hard to maintain what his father had left behind, but back then he was still in school, and there wasn''t much he could do. He just hoped the remaining people would give him some time."

    "But I still announced my departure at that time, setting a bad precedent. Afterward, many of the old members left, and I guess that hurt him a bit," Mai Mai said with a wry smile.

    "But my leaving the group wasn''t because I didn''t trust him."

    "I know. You just wanted to fulfill your childhood dream of opening a perfume shop."

    "Fulfilling my dream was one reason, but there were other reasons too. The situation back then was very chaotic with all sorts of spection. I was also a bit impulsive and made my final decision. By the time I regretted it, it was already toote.

    "Honestly, I didn''t expect Boggy to agree to let me join his new hunting group, but that kid has always been like that, cing the group''s interests first. Even if he resented me in his heart, he would still bring me to meet you."

    "I don''t really think he hates you."

    "What?"

    Mai Mai felt a stir in her heart, but Ma Lu didn''t continue, as Boggy had already finished the fight and was walking towards them with a Banded Sand Snake in tow.

    A notification popped up on the Traveler''s Bracelet.

    Ma Lu opened it and saw three blessing options.

    [Intermediate Healing: Provides a special healing treatment to a designated teammate]

    [Iron Lifting Expert: Increases the entire team''s stamina by 10%]

    [That''s Too Dangerous: There is a 15% chance that when a team member with Earth-Series Psychic Power uses their ability, a quicksand pit is created nearby]

    All of them blue.

    ```

    He had originally wanted to choose [Iron Lifting Expert], but then he saw [Intermediate Healing] flickering a few times, emitting a purple glow, and it was then reced by a new blessing.

    [Water Conducts Electricity: Team members with Water-Series Psychic Powers have a 33% chance of their abilities being apanied by electricity.]

    [Water Conducts Electricity] had an effect simr to the White Blessings [This Water is Electrified], but the activation probability had been increased from 3% to 33%.

    You could only say that purple was indeed purple, and the fact that he hadted this Purple Blessing without paying after it was triggered by hitting a jackpot had greatly excited Ma Lu. With a grand gesture, he said, "Continue."

    Afterward, the three of them sessively obtained some 1-star and 2-star ingredients, but they didn''t manage to get a second Purple Blessing.

    Actually,pared with other Hunting Groups, their harvest was already quite good.

    Hunting was like that, requiring both ability and luck, and bad luck could mean returning empty-handed, which wouldn''t be strange even for the top Hunting Groups that couldn''t guarantee striking it rich every time.

    Byparison, Ma Lu had a scanning function, which at least ensured a minimum threshold, but ever since they hunted the Giant w Lord, Ma Lu had be somewhat disdainful of these low-star ingredients.

    Moreover, he had invested heavily in upgrading the Collection Bag beforeing here, specifically to take back a greater bounty of good stuff.

    Seeing Ma Lu looking around, Boggy thought for a moment and then took a package off the motorcycle.

    As soon as it was opened, a foul stench assaulted their noses, causing Ma Lu to step back twice, covering his nose and asking,

    "What, what is this?!"

    "The Giant w Lord''s organs," replied Boggy, "I brought it backst time and stored it in a big barrel."

    Mai Mai showed a look of realization, "Oh, are you nning to attract prey by using bait?"

    "Yeah," Boggy nodded, "Organs are the best material for bait fishing, especially those of a big creature like the Giant w Lord. Although we can''t eat it, it has a fatal attraction to many prey animals."

    Mai Mai continued, "However, if the organs are fresh, the scent they emit is limited and may only attract nearby prey, but if they ferment and decay, the smell spreads far and wide."

    Ma Lu understood¡ªthis was essentially creating a feeding ground.

    "But with bait fishing, what it attracts is beyond our control. Prey could easily swarm the area, gathering more and more until even our retreat could be blocked. Compared with regr hunting, the risk is much higher. We are now in a Level 2 Hunting Area," Mai Mai reminded them, "Are you sure about this?"

    Her words were directed at Boggy, yet she noticed that Boggy was looking at Ma Lu.

    "Let''s do it."

    Ma Lu only pondered for a moment before making the decision.

    Bait fishing might be dangerous for others, but for the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, blessed with Meat Pigeon, it could not be more suitable.

    The more prey that appeared, the greater the enhancements they could obtain. As long as they didn''t attract an overwhelmingly powerful creature at the start, things would get progressively easier.

    Boggy found a small dune, threw the rotten organs underneath, and stood guard with a Mechanical Spear in hand to prevent any prey from swallowing the bait.

    As for Ma Lu and Mai Mai, theyy on top of the dune, a spot that was not easily attacked, with an open view allowing them to observe the surroundings so they could warn Boggy to flee if the situation didn''t look right.

    Seeing that the team captain and vice-captain had made up their minds, Mai Mai, still in her trial period as a neer, naturally wouldn''t object, but worry was still evident in her eyes.

    Bait fishing... three people was too few.

    So far, Ma Lu hadn''t made a move except for catching Young me Lizards, and her situation was special in that she could only strike once, which meant only Boggy was truly hunting.

    Mai Mai was very concerned whether that small body of Boggy''s could withstand the intensebat that was toe.

 Chapter 35: 35 Lucky Strike

    Having had two previous hunting experiences, Boggy had already developed sufficient trust in Ma Lu.

    Furthermore, he was carrying the "helper" that Ma Lu had given him.

    Boggy''s gaze flicked to the Young me Lizard hanging at his waist, which was tirelessly gnawing at his hunting clothes.

    Boggy adjusted his breathing and struck a defensive pose, feeling the surge of strength.

    It wasn''t long before the first prey appeared, a cheetah.

    At the first sight of the cheetah, Boggy''s pupils shrank dramatically, but once he saw that the markings on its body were dark brown rather than golden, and its fur was sandy yellow with a smaller body size, his heart settled down again.

    It was a Grey-Spotted Cheetah, not the much-feared Golden Leopard that made countless hunters change color.

    Although the difference was only one word, thebat power of the two was vastly different.

    The strength of the Grey-Spotted Cheetah was slightly higher than that of the Two-Headed Hyena, roughly equal to two Two-Headed Hyenas in a fight. If a Golden Leopard were here, their deaths could have been dered ahead of time.

    But after all, this was just a Level 2 Hunting Area. The chance of encountering a Golden Leopard was about as likely as a Giant Curtain being hit by a meteor.

    Boggy realized he had been too concerned with the name, and he quickly shifted his attention back to the opponent before him.

    The Grey-Spotted Cheetah might not be as challenging as the Golden Leopard, but it was still not easy to handle, and he had to be fully alert.

    The Grey-Spotted Cheetah, attracted by the smell of innards, had also discovered the human in front of it early on.

    So it quickened its pace, trotting, but didn''t pounce immediately. Instead, it started circling around Boggy.

    Seeing a puzzled expression on Ma Lu''s face, Mai Mai quietly exined.

    "It''s looking for the prey''s vulnerabilities in this way. If you get dizzy from its movement or be distracted, even for an instant, it will seize the moment and exploit it," Mai Mai whispered.

    As soon as Mai Mai finished speaking, the Grey-Spotted Cheetahunched its attack.

    Seizing the moment Boggy turned his head to change his field of vision, the cheetah squatted down, curled into a ball, then abruptly kicked off the ground, propelling itself forward and turning into a blur as it lunged at its target!

    Its limbs were long and strong, full of the sense of motion when it ran.

    Just like Mai Mai had said, the Grey-Spotted Cheetah chose a very good moment to strike, and its path was exactly in Boggy''s blind spot.

    However, in this desert, the roles of hunter and hunted could switch at any moment.

    The vulnerability just now had been deliberately exposed by Boggy, with the intention of luring the Grey-Spotted Cheetah into his trap.

    His movements weren''t as fast as the Grey-Spotted Cheetah''s. Even if he had the upper hand in strength, once the Grey-Spotted Cheetah sensed danger and switched to a hit-and-run strategy, the battle could be a stalemate.

    If another wild beast appeared at that point, his situation would be very passive.

    Therefore, Boggy had decided early on to fight a quick battle. As the Grey-Spotted Cheetah initiated its pounce, the Mechanical Spear in his hand moved as well.

    However, to dull the cheetah''s alertness, Boggy was turning his back to it. Unable to turn the spearhead in time, Boggy used the Mechanical Spear as a stick instead.

    He swung it violently backward, hitting the back of the Grey-Spotted Cheetah.

    Mai Mai let out a soft gasp, because that spot was not the Grey-Spotted Cheetah''s vital point, and Boggy had used the shaft instead of the spearhead, resulting in limited lethality.

    Contrary to that, although the Grey-Spotted Cheetah got hit, it closed the distance with Boggy and was almost immediately ready to bite down with its mouth.

    Mai Mai, upon seeing this, couldn''t help but grip her backpack tightly.

    However, the thing she was worried about didn''t happen. The Grey-Spotted Cheetah seemed to have only been grazed, but ity on the ground, unable to stand up for a long time, just constantly howling in pain.

    Boggy''sst strike, under the effect of [Charge with Hits], erupted with a force of 1043%, directly breaking the spine of the Grey-Spotted Cheetah.

    The battle started quickly and ended just as fast, with the oue decided in a single round.

    Afterwards, Boggy turned around, plunged the Mechanical Spear into the Grey-Spotted Cheetah''s head, ending its suffering, and also presented Ma Lu with a new three-choice opportunity.

    The Grey-Spotted Cheetah, just like the Two-Headed Hyena, was a 2-star ingredient, and in theory, should have yielded Blue Blessings, but this time Ma Lu''s luck exploded.

    Although it didn''t trigger the heart-pounding jackpot upgrade effect, it hit the rare event of a 2-star ingredient yielding Purple Blessings.

    The veryst one was a Purple Blessing, and it was a familiar one at that.

    [Endless Bloodflow: The entire team has a 33% chance to trigger a bleeding status with their attacks, and the bleeding amount is increased by 100% under the bleeding status.]

    This blessing came just in time, working well with [Water Conductivity], allowing Boggy''s Water Shield toe in handy again.

    While they were going down to handle the Grey-Spotted Cheetah, Ma Lu and Boggy swiftly exchanged thoughts on their next battle strategy.

    On the other hand, Mai Mai, who was dealing with the prey, felt secretly rmed; she had already noticed the abnormality on the back of the Grey-Spotted Cheetah. The ce where it had been grazed by the Mechanical Spear was now a blur of flesh and blood, with the bones underneath deformed.

    What terrifying force must it have been to cause such damage?

    Mai Mai looked up, then nced over at Ma Lu and Boggy, only to find that the two of them seemed to take this astonishing scene for granted.

    And Mai Mai recalled the previous battle, where evidently Boggy had been fully confident before making a move.

    But how could that be possible?!

    Before Mai Mai could voice her doubts, the trio were greeted by a new visitor; this time the prey came from the sky.

    ¡ªFlesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture

    This type of vulture, nearly 2m in body length, has red fleshy ps on either side of its neck and a beak sharp and pointed like a long hook, capable of easily slicing open the belly of its prey with the aid of its sharp talons.

    Moreover, they possess the ability to fly, making them one of the least favorite opponents for Hunters.

    The diet of the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture is very diverse, almost anything goes, but they particrly favor carrion, and they had clearlye for the innards of the Giant w Lord.

    Despite the Traveler''s Bracelet rating them as 2-star ingredients, it still couldn''t dispel Ma Lu''s doubts about the edibility of these things.

    Perhaps Old Wang has some way of eliminating the bacteria and pathogens they carry, but it''s very likely that it would still require some special ingredient or cooking method.

    It feels like they would be troublesome to process, but now wasn''t the time to think about that; even if they didn''t n to take them back for snacks, they still needed to deal with these Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vultures.

    If the bait were to be snatched away by them, then the bait-fishing would have to end prematurely. Moreover, it would be quite dangerous if they were left unattended, as they could swoop down unexpectedly duringter battles andunch a sudden attack.

    Mai Mai began to worry about Boggy again, not knowing how he nned to deal with these enemies in the sky.

 Chapter 36: 36: Beheading with a Single Stroke

    Boggy looked up at the three Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vultures in the sky, then released his psychic power.

    Using the blood left by the Grey-Spotted Cheetah on the ground, he created seven thumb-sized blood shields.

    Four of the blood shields were positioned by his side, while the other three covered the pile of viscera behind him.

    Soon, one of the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vultures couldn''t resist the temptation and swooped down from the sky.

    It would eat anything, but it had a clear preference for carrion, so its first target was still the pile of viscera on the ground.

    It was met with a mechanical spear instead. Sensing danger at thest moment, the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture abandoned its hunt and pped its wings to dodge the attack.

    With only a 12% speed boost on him, Boggy''s movements weren''t much faster than the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture, and thetter''s wings made its evasion even more flexible.

    The 223% power boost that had umted on Boggy from [Charge with Hits] also vanished after his attack.

    At this critical moment, the other two Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vultures also dove down, seemingly realizing they needed to deal with this annoying human before they could feast to their hearts'' content.

    They approached from the left and the right, pincering Boggy!

    The four blood shields by Boggy''s side were nearly instantly pierced by the sharp talons of the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vultures.

    Then Mai Mai saw one of the predatorily diving Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vultures suddenly shudder, as if struck by a sudden illness, and, without any warning, it crashed to the ground.

    [Water Conductivity: There''s a 33% chance that the abilities used by the team''s Water-Series Psychic Power user will carry an electrical current.]

    This time he didn''t manage to benefit from [The Last Bastion]''s damage immunity, but fortunately, the Purple Blessings could substitute for [The Last Bastion] to some extent and even added a control effect.

    The Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture on the ground was stricken by the shock into rigidity. Boggy forced back the assant on his right, then reversed his hold on the mechanical spear and drove it into the ground, ending its life.

    As Boggy was pulling out his weapon, a ''thump'' sounded from behind; it was the first Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture that had attacked, seizing the opportunity when Boggy was tied up by two others, trying to hog the pile of viscera for itself.

    It collided with the three blood shields Boggy had left overhead, and its luck wasn''t any better; it also triggered [Water Conducts Electricity].

    Boggy certainly wasn''t about to turn down a free kill delivered to his doorstep.

    Afterpleting the double kill, however, he turned to see thest Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture had already taken off, sensing danger.

    Possibly unwilling to leave empty-handed, the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture, before leaving, noticed the two lying on the sand dune and dove toward Ma Lu and Mai Mai.

    Mai Mai had a hand on his backpack, ready to unleash his power, but to his surprise, Ma Lu acted faster.

    He took out the small hand crossbow he had found at the storage point and, after a thought, threw the hand crossbow to Mai Mai, "You take the shot."

    Ma Lu knew his aim was only average and shooting was obviously an attack movement. If he were to shoot, the power boosts on him would disappear, and this strength wouldn''t transfer to the bolts, thus it would be aplete waste.

    Mai Mai took the hand crossbow, skillfully loaded it, aimed, and fired in one fluid motion full of grace, clearly the result of systematic training.

    The bolt finally hit the left wing of the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture, just half an inch from its left ventricle.

    But that half-inch resulted in a drastically different oue.

    Compared to the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture''s massive body, the damage the crossbow bolt, thinner than a finger, could inflict was limited unless it hit a vital spot, which was unlikely to severely wound the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture.

    Mai Mai had done his best, but in the end, he only slightly deviated the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture''s flight path.

    But that was enough for Ma Lu, who seized the opportunity, leaped forward, and swung the chef''s knife in his hand.

    Under the outburst of 4983% strength, the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture''s head and neck were effortlessly severed in two.

    The headless body flew a distance before plunging into a heap of sand and then pped twice more beforeing to rest.

    Ma Lu also breathed a sigh of relief.

    It was fortunate that the two Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vultures Boggy had killed earlier popped out two blessings that enhanced speed and reflexes, although they were both blue.

    Without that extra 10% boost, Ma Lu might not have been able to seize that fleeting opportunity.

    After all, strength doesn''t count unless you actually hit your target.

    However, since they had safely gone through the first two rounds of attacks, the subsequent battles gradually became easier.

    Mai Mai noticed this too.

    She was also an old hunter and keenly aware that Boggy''s strength, speed, and reflexes seemed to be increasing over time.

    Moreover, Boggy''s stamina was unbelievably good that day, and the continuous battles didn''t seem to wear him out much.

    Mai Mai had also never seen those little red shields before, and having known Boggy for a long time, she was naturally aware of what his psychic power was.

    It could be said that it was precisely that weak psychic power that prevented Boggy from bing an excellent hunter.

    But now, the psychic power that Boggy disyed was unfamiliar to Mai Mai.

    Those blood shields seemed to have the ability to paralyze the prey, as well as to block attacks, and when they shattered, they could transform into some kind of toxin that would burn the skin of whoever it touched.

    Mai Mai witnessed Boggy create a blood shield asrge as a door, which then shattered and wiped out a group of Two-Headed Hyenas.

    ¡ª¡ªIt was almost unanimously epted among hunters that once a person''s psychic power awakened, it would be fixed and unchanged.

    Yet today, thatmon sense seemed to have been broken.

    But how was that possible?

    Mai Mai couldn''t remember how many times she had been shocked, but she knew the answer she sought rested with the man beside her.

    Not long ago, Boggy had be disillusioned and announced his departure from the Harpist; less than a weekter, he had established Twin Sunflower and returned from two sessive ventures, both timesden with spoils.

    There was only one variable in this.

    Mai Mai moved closer to Ma Lu''s cheek, her breath just brushing across his ear, making him feel ticklish, "Exactly who are you?"

    "Me? For now, I suppose I could be considered a frencer."

    Ma Lu sneezed.

    "If you don''t want to talk about it, forget it," Mai Mai pretended to be angry, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her true feelings.

    However, when she raised her telescope again, she let out a soft exmation.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "It looks like there''s a dune moving over there." Mai Mai kept looking for a moment before confirming, "Yes, it''s getting closer to us."

    "It''s a Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream." Ma Lu also picked up the telescope; he was no stranger to this sight.

    When he first came to this ne, the first one to greet him was the big guy under the dune.

    And that night, at the Little Bear Bar, he had also tasted the pan-fried Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream, which was quite delicious.

    If he could get Old Wang to cook it, he was sure it would be even better.

    So now the question came down to one thing.

    ¡ª¡ªHow to hunt down this Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream.

    If Ma Lu recalled correctly, the creature''s courage was nowhere near its size, and once startled, it would quickly burrow underground.

    Although Boggy was buffed up at the moment, killing a Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream in one hit wouldn''t be easy.

    Usually, to hunt such arge creature, you would need at least seven or eight people working together, plus special traps and weapons.

    Ma Lu was still pondering when Mai Mai''s voice came again.

    "Vice-Captain, can you let me handle this one?"

 Chapter 37: 37: The Golden Legend

    "Do you have confidence you can handle it?"

    Mai Mai nodded, "Mm-hmm, my psychic powers are meant for times like these."

    "Then I''ll leave it to you."

    Upon hearing this, Mai Mai stood up from the sand dune, slung herrge backpack over her shoulder, and penguin-ran down it.

    She said something to Boggy, who nced in the direction of the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream, then put away his mechanical spear and climbed the dune.

    Ma Lu noticed that her clothes were almostpletely soaked with blood and said offhandedly, "I have a spare set of hunting clothes in my storage box; you should change into it."

    Boggy seemed surprised at first, then shook his head, "No need, it''s just a bit of blood..."

    "It''s not just the blood; you''ve been standing next to that pile of rotten flesh for so long you''re nearly marinated in it."

    Boggy sniffed his sleeve and indeed noticed a stench, but he still insisted, "I''m not changing."

    "Hmm, are you worried about Mai Mai seeing you? Then you can go to the other side of the dune, and I''ll keep watch for you."

    "Impossible!" Boggy blurted out.

    Having said that, he realized his reaction was a bit too intense, and quickly added, "It''s none of your business."

    "How can it be none of my business, when I''m the one squatting here with you?" Ma Lu said, covering his nose.

    "Then just... stay away from me."

    "Tsk, you''re in such a bad mood today, is it because of Mai Mai? If you really don''t like her, you don''t have to ept her into the Hunting Group. After all, you still have plenty of other candidates."

    "Or is it because she''s an acquaintance that you can''t bring yourself to reject her? I can y the bad guy for you, exercise my authority as the deputy leader, and fail her assessment."

    "Stop joking; do you have any idea how many Hunting Groups wille knocking if they hear she''s nning aeback?" Boggy said with a stern face.

    "Is she that formidable? I feel like she''s not even as good as me."

    As a member of the spectator duo, Ma Lu felt his level was on par with Mai Mai''s, and at least he had scored a head in his ount. Mai Mai was just a pure cheerleader; no wonder her nickname was "Tagging Along".

    "Can she really handle that Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream on her own? Don''t get eaten."

    "She... might not be as strong as you, but she''s quite powerful. I haven''t seen her in action, but my father once mentioned that Mai Mai''s abilities are terrifying, and that was the first time I heard him use ''terrifying'' to describe someone."

    Hearing Boggy speak like this, Ma Lu also became interested. This was his third time in this dimension, but most of his time was spent with Boggy. Aside from Chi Qi, who could tear through the sand with his hands, and the Treasure Hunting Group he had encountered, Ma Lu hadn''t seen any other Hunters use psychic powers.

    Especially the real experts.

    Mai Mai was so young yet had joined a Diamond Level Hunting Group and had been highly praised by the leader, Li. She must be among the top Hunters in the Giant Curtain.

    Ma Lu was also curious about herbat abilities.

    "Electric field?"

    While the two discussed, the moving "sand dune" had almost reached them¡ªits eagerness resembling a middle school student ready to dash to the cafeteria when the lunch bell rings.

    Yet Mai Mai simply stood still, calmly waiting for the prey to approach.

    She seemed incredibly rxed, as if she wasn''t hunting but on a vacation instead.

    It wasn''t until the sand dune stopped in front of her, sand trickling down to reveal therge, ugly head beneath, that the dynamic changed.

    The Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream opened its mouth, revealing a dense array of sharp teeth, ready to gulp down both the pile of rotten innards and the woman in front of it.

    And just at that moment, Mai Mai finally moved.

    She tore open her backpack, revealing a stack of high-density batteries inside.

    Mai Mai even had time to wink at the two on the sand dune before sheid her hand on those batteries.

    The next moment, with her body as the epicenter, blue electricity danced out like a frenzied dragon, spreading in all directions!

    It almost instantly reached the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream, entering its massive mouth and traveling down its oral cavity!

    Then, the nearby electric currents, like sharks that had caught the scent of blood, swarmed toward the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream!

    They converged into an electric arc thicker than an arm, firmly linking Mai Mai and the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream together.

    At that moment, Mai Mai seemed to transform into a power station, her pupils, eyebrows, and mouth all engulfed by electric light.

    The entire discharging processsted for almost ten seconds, and when it was all over, Ma Lu felt the air around him be much fresher, tinged with the scent of pine.

    He knew this was because the air had been ionized by the high-voltage electricity, creating ozone.

    Looking at the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream not far away, its massive body had already copsed onto the ground. Although it wasn''t immediately dead, it was left with itsst breath.

    Boggy jumped down from the dune and circled the barely alive Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream twice, continuously stabbing with his mechanical spear.

    However, due to the immense size of the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream, it was difficult for Boggy''s mechanical spear to truly hit its vital points; he could only continue to bleed it.

    It took a grueling half an hour to finally grind the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream to death.

    At the same moment, Ma Lu also received a notification.

    [Congrattions, your team has just defeated the formidable Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream. Please choose one of the following three blessings to receive before the 60-second countdown ends.]

    Ma Lu''s gaze quickly moved downwards, and seeing the three Purple Blessings, he was somewhat disappointed.

    But soon, the blessing on the top started to flicker, and he knew it was the effect of triggering the Jackpot from Heartbeat of Wonders.

    Ma Lu couldn''t help but hold his breath.

    Here it came, the biggest gamble of the day. Profit or loss hinged on this one moment!

    Ma Lu had never felt half a second to be so prolonged before.

    He thought he saw a sh of gold beneath the blessing, but upon closer examination, it seemed a bit blue.

    As the flickering stopped, the original Purple Blessings disappeared, reced by a new blessing.

    [Corpse Bomb: When a team member dies, the body explodes after 5 seconds, causing massive one-time damage to all life forms within a radius of 100 meters.]

    It was gold, yet not quite. As if it were gold.

    This was the first Golden Blessing Ma Lu had obtained in all his hunts, yet the effect was quite abstract.

    Was this... a sacrificial tactic?

    Ma Lu had never encountered an effect that could only be triggered by turning into a corpse; he nced around and realized that among the three present, he was the only one who might just be able to use this Golden Blessing.

    But even if he could resurrect, he would have to wait for the next time; besides, dying would cause him to drop all the ingredients in his Collection Bag, which would be like working in vain this time.

    Moreover, there was another critical point: the effect of [Corpse Bomb] was effective on all living creatures, meaning it didn''t distinguish between friend or foe.

    One fallen teammate might well lead to the entire Hunting Group being wiped out.

    This wasn''t a blessing; it was more like an activated nuclear warhead.

    The only constion for Ma Lu was that this hunting trip was nearing its end, and the next time they came, this deadly thing should be refreshed away.

    And no matter how frustrating the effect was, its quality was undeniably golden, meaning it should contribute a sizeable number of points in the subsequent settlement.

    Looking at it that way, it was quite profitable.

 Chapter 38: 38 Confession

    Ma Lu gave Mai Mai a thumbs up, "Impressive!"

    Mai Mai smiled slightly at the words, but then she staggered, leaning forward, and toppled headfirst into the sand.

    "Hm?"

    "I''m fine, just used up all my telekinesis, feeling a bit drained, that''s all." Mai Mai''s voice came from beneath the sand, sounding muffled, "That''s how my power works, once I use it, I can''t stop."

    Boggy walked over, scooped her up, and set her on the back seat of the motorcycle.

    Mai Mai closed her eyes to rest for a while, then spoke again, "Team leader, deputy leader, did I pass the assessment?"

    Without waiting for Ma Lu to speak, Boggy said sternly, "You did, the strength you''ve shown is more than enough to join Twin Sunflower."

    "Thank you, I won''t leave the hunting group again, abandoning you all." Mai Mai said softly.

    Boggy shook his head, "Leaving the group is a hunter''s freedom; there''s no rule saying a hunter must stay in the same hunting group forever."

    "But I really like Twin Sunflower, I like the two leaders, and I want to stay here." Mai Mai said.

    "Smooth talker," Boggy huffed coldly.

    Ma Lu pointed at the nearby Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream and said, "Speaking of which, what are we going to do with this thing? It''s definitely impossible to carry it back on the motorcycle, and my bag can''t fit it."

    The Giant w Lord we encountered on thest hunt was big enough, butpared to the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream before us, it felt more like a river crab.

    Moreover, the Giant w Lord''s exterior had a thick shell ounting for about half of its weight, and after removing the inedible organs such as the internal organs, there was even less meat left.

    But the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream had no shell, and the meat to bone ratio was roughly seventy-thirty, Ma Lu estimated preliminarily, feeling that the yield could break ten thousand.

    It could be said to be an unprecedented big harvest!

    Luckily, he had upgraded the Collection Bag beforeing this time, but even so, it could only take 600 pounds of meat back, less than a tenth.

    The load capacity of Boggy''s motorcycle was about the same, and even if Mai Mai recovered some strength and rode his motorcycle back, there would still be over eight thousand pounds of meat unresolved.

    It would be a waste to just leave it here.

    "I just rented an Air Transport from the guild," Boggy said, "After the hunting group is upgraded to bronze, this service bes avable, but renting an Air Transport costs a hefty fee each time."

    "For the mid-sized transport I rented, the usage fee is 12,000 Electric Degrees for 2 hours, and each additional hour costs 2,000 more Electric Degrees."

    "That expensive?"

    "Yes, so most of the time, hunters still prefer to pull their game back using their own motorcycles."

    "But we hit the jackpot this time." Mai Mai''s voice also rose with excitement, "The meat of the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream is currently priced at about 16 Electric Degrees per pound in the market, cheek meat can sell for 24, and mid-belly for 21. The total sales price for such a big one should be around 190,000.

    "Even deducting the 12,000 for renting the transport, that''s still 178,000, if you two split it..."

    "Three people," Boggy corrected, "You are now a member of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, and you''re the one who caught this Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream, so you''ll definitely get a share of the final reward."

    Hearing this, Mai Mai did not refuse, happily saying, "Alright then, if it''s three people, we each can take 60,000, plus the other game, we should end up with 65,000. Hahaha, I didn''t expect that after a two-year break, I''d make a big profit on my firsteback.

    "Indeed, being a hunter brings money in faster, I shouldn''t have gone off to open some perfume store."

    The spoils of this trip were already quite bountiful.

    Adhering to the principle of quitting while ahead, the three unanimously decided to end the bait fishing.

    Boggy stood guard in front of the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream with his Mechanical Spear, having wrapped up the remaining organs. However, the area had just witnessed a series of over a dozen fights, and the smell of blood was strong¡ªan easy temptation for nearby beasts.

    Fortunately, no creature stronger than the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream showed up until the Air Transport arrived.

    Only a group of Bloodsucking Tail Weasels looking for an easy steal approached, and they were swiftly dealt with by Boggy, who wasyered with blessings.

    Afterwards, the leader of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group loaded the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream, the other hunted creatures, and an overly drained Mai Mai onto the Six-Rotor Transport Aircraft that resembled adybug in appearance.

    He, however, stayed behind to apany Ma Lu to the nearest storage point to store the motorcycle and equipment.

    "Ah, I really appreciate it. Honestly, I could have done it by myself."

    As Ma Lu changed clothes inside the container, Boggy did not follow in, stopping at the door and speaking through the metal barrier.

    "It''s no issue; this way, it will be easier to find you next time."

    After this remark, neither spoke again, leaving only the ping-pong sounds of gravel hitting the iron walls.

    Feeling the atmosphere turn somewhat awkward after a while, Boggy took the initiative to speak again.

    "I... n to recruit two more people. Five should be about right. Adding more would reduce the share of the rewards for each person."

    "Sure, whatever you decide is fine," Ma Lu said.

    "Of course, our ultimate goal is to enter the Death Forbidden Zone. I''ll adjust the team''s structure and purchase weapons and equipment ordingly..."

    As Boggy talked about business, he felt this couldn''t continue and decided to clear the air. Otherwise, the misunderstanding about Ma Lu asking him to change in front of her was likely to happen again, making things more and more awkward for them.

    Boggy took a deep breath and, finally resolute, said, "Actually, there''s something I want to tell you¡ªI''m not... what you think I am."

    "After my father passed away, to carry on his legacy and uphold the Hunting Group he left behind, I cut my hair short, rode his motorcycle, mimicked his dress, behavior, and even the tone of his voice.

    "I once desperately wished to be him... no, even now, I''m still trying to be like him, to be as excellent a Hunter and leader he was, to meet the expectations of those around me.

    "However, only after actually bing a Hunter did I realize the vast gap between us, a gap so great it drove me to despair. I finally understood that no matter how much I tried to imitate him, I could nevere close, let alone be him.

    "But I still want to thank you. If it hadn''t been for you, I might now be drunk and wallowing in self-pity in some bar behind the Giant Curtain. You rescued me, bringing a glimmer of light into the darkest time of my life.

    "Even if it''s just for 12 hours a week, being a qualified Hunter is the most wonderful thing that''s happened to me in recent years.

    "Also, I didn''t mean to deceive you; I just never found the right moment to exin that I''m not actually a boy. But finally, it''s probably not toote.

    "Anyway, I hope you won''t mind and that we can continue to get along as well as we have been."

    Having said everything in one breath, Boggy felt a sense of relief.

    However, a reply from Ma Lu was not forting. After waiting a while longer, Boggy stepped forward and knocked on the container door again, but there was still no response.

    Hesitant, she finally pushed the door open and found only a motorcycle inside, along with a set of freshly changed Hunting Clothes.

 Chapter 39: 39 Sand Bream Hamburgers

    "I''ve got some good stuff again this time!"

    As soon as Ma Lu returned to the rental, he eagerly took out a piece of Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream from the Collection Bag and handed it to Old Wang.

    No. 6, upon seeing this, rushed over excitedly from the balcony to join in on the fun, but he lost interest when he saw that Ma Lu was holding raw meat.

    Old Wang took the piece of meat and examined it carefully, even pressing it with his finger. The impression from his touch rebounded the moment his finger withdrew.

    "The quality is good, really fresh, have you thought about what you want to do with it?"

    "Yeah, let''s make Sand Bream burgers. I''ve been selling snacks all this time, and it wouldn''t hurt to try a main dish every once in a while, though it''s best to have meals pre-ordered for that."

    Main dishes and snacks are different; main dishes are more filling and therefore have a shorter selling window. After meal times, the decline in customer traffic is quite pronounced.

    The decisive time of the day might just be one or two hours. If you can''t sell enough portions in those one or two hours, the following period could be dangerous, with a high probability that you wouldn''t sell out.

    The good news was that Ma Lu had already set up WeChat groups, more than one in fact. Now thebined members of Group 1 and Group 2 had already exceeded eight hundred.

    As long as pre-orders were opened in advance, it should be possible to secure a good number of orders.

    But that alone wasn''t enough; to serve arge volume of customers in a short time, the speed of service also had to be increased.

    Ma Lu''s initial idea was to pre-make a batch of burgers and keep them in a warming box, so they could just be taken out and sold when needed.

    But Old Wang rejected that idea.

    The reason was simple: even if they were reheated, the burgers wouldn''t be as delicious as when they are made fresh.

    And because of the cost increase, Ma Lu nned to raise the price from 28 to 35.

    An increase of 7 might not sound like much, but once the price climbed over thirty, it would inevitably deter a portion of potential customers.

    Especially for most university students who didn''t have much money to begin with, spending over 30 on a meal was psychologically difficult to ept.

    Ma Lu''s trump card was the high Deliciousness Index of the ¡ï¡ï¡î Sand Bream burger.

    Therefore, there could be nopromises on taste.

    "How long does it take you to make one burger on the spot?" Ma Lu asked Old Wang.

    "About four minutes or so."

    "That''s too long."

    "If you can find arger grill and add another heat source with equal power, I could handle 16 meat patties at once. That would bring the time down to 49 seconds per burger."

    "If there''s another helper just to spread the sauce, arrange the toppings, and do the packaging, this time could be further reduced to 30 seconds, and it''s not impossible to get down to 20 seconds with practice."

    "I can help you with that, and leave the grill and stove to me," Ma Lu snapped his fingers. "For the burger buns, let''s use Manhattan ones. I remember they sell them at the supermarket... and there''s a discount for those nearing expiration. Ites down to less than 80 cents each."

    "No, we should bake the burger buns ourselves. It just so happens we have an oven."

    "Ah, this way we can save some more costs, but won''t you be too tired?"

    Old Wang shook his head, "I didn''t suggest this from a cost perspective. The patty, of course, is the heart of a burger, and the sauce gives the burger its soul. Side dishes bring nutrition and more texturebinations, but the first thing a diner bites into is always the bread.

    "If the bread isn''t done well, it won''t inspire people to continue tasting. It''s like the first thing you see is an ugly face, you naturally won''t be interested in delving into its inner qualities.

    "Moreover, a good burger should have harmonious parts, just like a symphony, where the instrumentsplement each other. Any disharmony will sound particrly jarring.

    "So if you n to set up your stall before noon, you need to hurry up now," Old Wang reminded him.

    Ma Lu hopped on his tricycle and dashed to the farmers'' market, quickly purchasing the side dishes and pulling them back home.

    He then opened the all-powerful Collection Bag, found the dual-burner gas stove andrge grill te that Old Wang needed, and had a delivery runner bring them over.

    In the meantime, he took the opportunity to catch some sleep, setting the rm for 10:30.

    When Ma Lu got up and headed to the kitchen, he already smelled the aroma of bread before he entered.

    It was a sweet scent mixed with caramel and wheat, with a hint of milk, probably because butter had been added to the dough.

    This instantly rxed Ma Lu, who had been anxious about the impending battle.

    No wonder those bakery advertisements always try to link bread with happiness, because freshly baked bread indeed has that kind of magic power.

    When Ma Lu entered the kitchen, it was just in time for a new batch of bread toe out of the oven, twenty-four pieces on two trays.

    Old Wang brushed ayer of butter on their golden-brown crusts, which would help keep them soft for the time being.

    When they were cool enough to handle, Ma Lu grabbed one, gave it a squeeze, and found it was very different from the ready-made ones you can buy at supermarkets ¨C very soft and full, bouncing back immediately after being pressed, and the air pockets inside were very even.

    Ma Lu didn''t even wait for Old Wang to add the fillings before eating one, and eximed,

    "Now I understand why you insisted on baking the bread yourself. The difference in taste is really significant."

    "Now I''ll teach you how to arrange the side dishes," Old Wang said, his face devoid of any smugness, as serious and meticulous as ever, like a cold and precise machine.

    No, he seemed to be a machine life form all along.

    Ma Lu was slightly distracted for a moment, then saw Old Wang ce two balls of meat in the pan.

    He didn''t add any extra oil, because as the meatballs were ttened, the released fat was enough to do the frying. Old Wang instructed Ma Lu how to cut a bun while he cooked the meat, spreading the sauce inside,yering with the cut lettuce and tomato, which surprisingly was not much different from other burgers.

    The process was straightforward, and Ma Lu learned quickly. He was just not as skilled at first, but after making two more, his speed increased significantly.

    Old Wang also flipped the patties, seasoned them with salt and pepper, and finally topped them with a slice of cheese.

    The solid slice of cheese soon melted under the high temperature, bing sticky and slowly sliding to the sides, eventually bing one with the patty.

    The scent of cheese in the air grew even stronger.

    Old Wang watched the patties in the pan, and when they reached the desired color, he quickly dished them out and ced them onto the bun that Ma Lu had prepared. Ma Lu sprinkled thest two ingredients on top and covered it with the other half of the bun.

    Thus, the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream burger was officiallyplete.

 Chapter 40: 40 Packaging

    Although he had just eaten a freshly baked small bread, Ma Lu couldn''t resist the newly out-of-the-oven Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream burger.

    Still, he suppressed the impulse in his heart and took out his phone to snap a few pictures before he picked up the burger and took a big bite.

    The double patties meant double the pleasure, and it wasn''t for no reason that the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream was always popr in the Giant Curtain''s bars and restaurants.

    Its texture was very unique, with a natural fruitwood smoky vor, yet it wasn''t as dry and tough as truly smoked meat, still retaining the fresh and juicy characteristics of raw meat.

    Furthermore, Old Wang''s handling of the fat-to-lean ratio in making the patties was excellent, approximately 3 to 7, and it also included some sinew to make the patty more chewy.

    As for the sauce, he appeared to be using the same secret tomato sauce as for the Fried Jackal Meat Cake, but with a difference.

    "Egg, you added egg as well? And it''s boiled and crushed egg, to rece mayonnaise, huh? I''ve always felt that mayonnaise''s sweetnessbined with cheese is a bit too greasy. This is much better now, and with the bits of egg in it, the texture is also richer."

    After finishing the burger in his hand, Ma Lu couldn''t help feeling deeply satisfied.

    He nced at the two half-finished products he had left on the desk while practicing.

    Since they were already topped with sauce, it wouldn''t be good to pack them away now, and although Ma Lu was full, to just throw them away seemed wasteful.

    So he took out his phone and sent a message to Little Brother Yang, asking if he wanted toe over for a burger.

    Little Brother Yang''s reply came quickly.

    ¡ª¡ªI''ll be right there.

    Ever since he had tried the Fried Jackal Meat Cake, Little Brother Yang, despite his vocal doubts about Ma Lu''s snack business, was in truth quite a faithful customer.

    While he didn''t visit every day, he hadn''t missed a single dish since the start of The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall, and he had tried almost all of them more than twice, rightfully earning the title of a hardcore fan.

    Of course, Little Brother Yang could never admit that Ma Lu and Old Wang''s business was picking up, as it would make him, the senior, look ipetent.

    Moreover, since they were using his tricycle, it would feel like rubbing salt in his wounds.

    Initially, he would say things like ¡ª¡ª if you can''t sell them all, I can help reduce your losses when you get back.

    But after waiting two days without getting to eat anything, Little Brother Yang realized that swooping in for leftovers was no longer an option with the current poprity of The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall.

    He decisively changed his strategy, taking advantage of the geographical convenience, he would get there before they set up their stall, creating a new excuse ostensibly to do quality checks.

    Ma Lu didn''t burst his bubble; business that came to your door was not to be turned down, especially since Little Brother Yang always paid, and it didn''t matter much what he liked to say.

    Less than two minutester, there was a knock at the door.

    Ma Lu opened the door to find Little Brother Yang muttering, "Another new product, I''lle and inspect." as he walked in.

    Old Wang was still frying patties in the kitchen, but Little Brother Yang, not seeing himself as an outsider, went straight to the couch and sat down.

    Then he turned to Ma Lu, "Wasn''t the Deep Sea Supreme Emperor Grill selling well? Why did you stop selling it? You guys sure love to hustle."

    "As long as it makes money, it''s not considered hustling," Ma Lu replied.

    "How much are you nning to sell this burger for?"

    "35."

    "Good grief,pared to you guys, KFC and the Golden Arches are practically a charity," Little Brother Yang inhaled sharply, "I''d feel ashamed to take their coupons now."

    "Who says? I''ve checked, the Golden Arches'' cheese double Angus Beef Burger sells for 43.5, a full 8.5 more than ours."

    "But you mentioned theirs is Angus."

    "So is ours."

    Seeing Ma Lu so confidently assert himself, Little Brother Yang was somewhat taken aback, mainly because he recalled the quality of what he had eaten here before. Although he couldn''t specify the ingredients, he felt that the quality was really not bad.

    It was even better than what he had eaten in a big restaurant before.

    Could it be that these two were really using top-quality, expensive ingredients?

    No, that''s not the point¡ªI almost got sidetracked.

    Little Brother Yang furrowed his brows, "Why would a snack stall like yours use such high-quality ingredients?"

    "Because we are an ambitious snack stall, the kind that ns to set up a shop in the future. We can''t afford to have a tainted history."

    "But who in their right mind would eat Angus at a snack stall on wheels?!"

    Unable to contain the criticism that had been building up inside him, Little Brother Yang felt a refreshing sense of release after shouting out the question.

    But soon, he noticed something wasn''t quite right¡ªMa Lu was also staring at him from across the way.

    "I¡ªI don''t count, I''m here to quality-check for you," Little Brother Yang quickly added.

    "Oh, it''s fine, as long as you pay."

    "Hmph, let me tell you upfront, I won''t pay if it''s not delicious."

    Ma Lu didn''t say anything in response, he just walked into the kitchen and brought out the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream burger Old Wang had just made.

    Little Brother Yang swallowed, reaching out his hand...

    Three minutester, he had finished the entire burger but was still too preupied to speak, sucking the sauce off his fingers.

    Ma Lu silently pushed the sheet of A4 paper with the payment code printed on it toward him.

    Although Little Brother Yang paid by scanning the code, he wouldn''t admit defeat, "The taste is alright, it''s just that I don''t really like onions."

    "There''s one more."

    "......"

    "Pack it up for me, I''ll take it back for my mom to try."

    Little Brother Yang scanned the payment code once more and, holding the packaged burger, was ready to leave when something suddenly urred to him. He looked around and said,

    "By the way, did you guys get a dog recently? Lately I keep hearing something running around overhead."

    "Ah... A friend, he had to go back home because of some issues and left his dog with us for a while."

    "Is that so, then take good care of my model and don''t let the dog ruin it," Little Brother Yang instructed.

    "Of course, don''t worry about it."

    "Where''s the dog?"

    "Some college students nearby took it out for a walk."

    "Are college students really so free these days?" muttered Little Brother Yang, saying a few more words before finally heading downstairs to go home.

    Meanwhile, Ma Lu began sending out orders for the burger to two fan groups.

    As expected, there was an immediate outcry about the price, and quite a few peopleined that it was expensive. Fortunately, there were enough people in the group, and there were plenty who weren''t short on cash and were eager to try something new, so they started a chain order. In a short while, they had gathered more than 30 orders.

    However, the mood of hesitancy was also quite strong¡ªnot because of any doubts about the burgers'' vor, but because the price was indeed steep.

    Even with KFC and the Golden Arches as a point ofparison, most college students wouldn''t splurge on an Angus Beef Burger at those ces.

    Ma Lu didn''t bother exining. Instead, he just posted the photos he had taken one by one into the group.

 Chapter 41: 41 Boss, Add WeChat

    Ma Lu''s ex-girlfriend was the deputy head of the photography club, and from her, Ma Lu picked up a few tricks onposition, color, and the use of light and shadow.

    Added to the built-in filter pack in his phone, he could almost perfectly recreate the tempting appearance of the freshly cooked sand bream burgers.

    Now, some people who had still been hesitating couldn''t withstand anymore, they gave in one after another,ining that it was too sneaky, while joining the queue.

    By the time he stepped outside, Ma Lu nced at the two group chats again, the order volume had already risen to 70+.

    He and Old Wang loaded the meatballs, side dishes, and baked bread onto the tricycle.

    They arrived at West Gate about 20 minutes before thest morning ss ended.

    The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall had now truly be a star on this street, drawing attention every time it showed up.

    Some of those who were originally wandering in front of other snack stalls, and even those who were halfway through cing orders, couldn''t help but "defect" upon seeing Ma Lu and Old Wang arrive.

    Squid Brother and the others had gotten used to this, as these kinds of things had been happening almost every day for the past two weeks.

    Luckily, The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall sold food fast and packed up early; they could finish sales and head home before it got dark, noting back in the evening topete for business with them.

    As soon as Ma Lu stopped the tricycle, before he even had a chance to set up, he heard someone shouting.

    "Found, found you guys!"

    The speaker was a female college student wearing a printed short-sleeve T-shirt and capri jeans, in her hand she carried a cup of freshly bought sugarcane juice, sprinting over from the opposite side of the road.

    "Boss, boss, do you remember me?" the female student asked excitedly.

    "Don''t remember you, but don''t worry, there are no discounts for acquaintances here either."

    "Ah, I''m not looking for a discount, though it would be better if there was one... no, this isn''t about discounts, what I wanted to say is that I had tried your fried meat pies before in Guo''s Vige, and the taste was really superb. I''ve been longing for it ever since, but when I went back the next day, I didn''t find you guys.

    "Not just the next day, but the third day, and every time I had free timest week I ran there, but the uncle selling bracelets said that you guys hadn''t been there again, and I thought you had quit.

    "Until I overheard a friend saying that there''s a senior from their school and a man who doesn''t talk much... a bald...Old man, who partnered up to run a stall outside their school, selling really delicious snacks. That''s when I thought of you guys."

    "Oh, it''s you." Ma Lu then remembered, "I can''t believe you managed to find us here, but we''ve stopped selling the fried meat pies."

    "I know, my friend told me that you guys are very capricious, changing the menu every few days, causing everyone to grumble, but the new items always leave people speechless."

    "Well... that''s about right."

    "Then bring it on." Little Monkey rubbed her hands together, a look of anticipation on her face, "What are you nning to sell today?"

    "Secret smoked Angus burger, 35 yuan each."

    "We haven''t seen each other for two weeks, and the unit price has already nearly doubled?" Little Monkey couldn''t help eximing, but as a food enthusiast, she also knew beef wasn''t cheap, especially with the word "Angus" added to it.

    And having chased all the way here, of course, she wasn''t going to back down now, especially since the taste of the Fried Jackal Meat Cake had been lingering in her mind all this time, refusing to fade away.

    If she couldn''t satisfy her craving promptly, she feared that she''d lose the heart to study in the future.

    On the other side, Old Wang had already set up the new gas stove andrge grill and started preheating it.

    A crowd started to gather in front of the snack stall, but apart from those who had pre-ordered in the group chat, the rest hesitated at the sight of the prices Ma Lu had posted, stopping in their tracks.

    But it didn''t matter, the first wave of customers was already sufficient. Old Wang waited until the temperature was right and then threw down all sixteen meatballs onto the grill and ttened them.

    The aroma of the oil quickly wafted through the air. This time, Ma Lu also kept himself busy, taking out 4 small buns that Old Wang had pre-toasted and cutting them into halves. He used the remaining space on the grill to warm them up again.

    ording to Old Wang, the side that touched the grill would gain a crispy texture.

    When the buns were just about warmed up, Ma Lu took them off, started to spread sauce and arrange the toppings, and also managed to warm up 4 more buns.

    Meanwhile, Old Wang flipped the patties over, added slices of cheese, and both worked in synchrony. It only took them 6 minutes to produce 8 Dorada burgers, averaging 45 seconds per burger.

    Ma Lu handed one over to Little Monkey, "Yours."

    Little Monkey swallowed hard. Compared to fancy restaurants, a street food stall had its unique charm: being able to witness the chef''s entire cooking process.

    While there were some patrons who were just there to eat and didn''t care how the chefs prepared their food, for foodies like Little Monkey, the chefs'' performance was like an appetizer.

    Watching the ingredients undergo their transformation from raw to cooked, until they emitted a captivating aroma and an alluring sheen, nothing could stimte one''s appetite more.

    Looking at the people around, their gazes didn''t lie. Some were already unable to resist the temptation and had started to queue up.

    But Little Monkey couldn''t care less about the others at the moment. She took a deep breath and then delved into the long-sought-after delicacy.

    Just from one bite, she knew she had struck gold. Her heart sped up while she took the second bite, feeling as if she had encountered the lover of her dreams...

    And by the time she had finished thest bite, she felt that the 35 yuan was the most worthwhile money she had ever spent in her life.

    Opening up Meituan and Xiaohongshu, even the burgers from some popr ces were more expensive, but the taste was nowhere near that of The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall.

    Little Monkey even started to think that Ma Lu and Old Wang were angels, sent from heaven specifically to rescue cash-strapped, gluttonous college students like her.

    She couldn''t hold back any longer, such a delicious bite had to be shared right away.

    But since she was enjoying her meal too much earlier, she hadn''t taken any pictures.

    Luckily, Ma Lu and Old Wang had just finished making another batch of burgers. Little Monkey hurried over to take a couple of quick pictures.

    She was about to send them to her dorm group and stir up a group purchase, but hesitated a second before clicking ''send''.

    She had previously brought some Fried Jackal Meat Cakes back to her roommates, which received unanimous praise.

    However, Little Monkey, who had eaten another one herself, knew all too well that there was a significant difference from just-cooked ones. She guessed that would likely be even more pronounced with burgers.

    No, even the slightest drop in quality would be an insult to this deliciousness.

    Hence, Little Monkey decided to stop carrying out food delivery herself and instead started rallying her dorm mates for a group meal, as it was just about dinner time.

    But before that, there was something even more important.

    "Boss, let''s add each other on WeChat. Next time you set up your stall, especially if there are new items, remember to notify me," Little Monkey approached Ma Lu, looking forward with anticipation.

    Ma Lu, hands busy, casually called out a name.

    "Mao Ka Ka, who''s Mao Ka Ka? Your burger is ready. Wait, do me another favor, add... what''s your name?"

    "Hou Yihan."

    "Yeah, add Hou Yihan to Group 2."

 Chapter 42: 42: Breaking Ten Thousand

    At first, Ma Lu needed assistance from Old Wang now and then, but as time passed, his movements became increasingly fluid.

    He didn''t need to think¡ªthe actions came instinctively, knowing what to do next.

    Old Wang, too, could focus on handling the meat patties, which took their serving speed to the next level, reducing the average cooking time for a burger to 18 seconds.

    From 11:50 to 12:40, in just 50 minutes, The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall sold a total of 137 burgers.

    And after the lunch rush, when the flow of customers predictably decreased even more noticeably than before, they still managed to sell another 80 burgers by 5 p.m.

    Although burgers don''t count as snacks, as word of mouth fermented once again, some girls would buy one together in groups of two or three, sharing it as an afternoon tea snack¡ªwhich not only prevented it from being too filling but also brought down the cost per person, making it less expensive.

    During the dinner rush, Ma Lu got busy once again, pushing to sell the remaining 80 burgers.

    Since it was their first day serving full meals, and since toasting bread also took time, Ma Lu, even though he had brought back 200 kilograms of meat, had only prepared ingredients for 300 servings; they sold out by 18:21 and closed up shop.

    Despite not increasing their preparation, thanks to the higher prices, The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall''s daily revenue still broke through ten thousand yuan, reaching 10,500.

    That was a full 25% higher than their previous highest daily revenue. However, the costs were also higher, with just butter and cheese together exceeding 700 yuan, not to mention the lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.

    Add to that the 193 yuan spent on purchasing a new gas stove and griddle, and the 115 yuan for recing the gas canister, the total expenses rose to 1,124.2 yuan.

    Which resulted in a profit of 9,375.8 yuan.

    To celebrate this historical moment, Ma Lu immediately opened the shopping app and ordered a set oftex mattresses.

    He had always felt that the palm mattresses in his bedroom were a bit hard, not even sure if they were 3cm thick, clearly cheap items purchased by thendlord just to appease tenants.

    Before, when his job situation was uncertain, he had made do with it, but now that he had money, he definitely needed to rece it.

    After that, Ma Lu let Old Wang pick out two kitchen appliances, and he didn''t forget about Number 6, for whom he bought a Redmi phone.

    Number 6 liked to eat phones, and wasn''t fussy about the brand; regr consumer concerns such as system fluidity and the impact of bugs on the device''s secondhand value also didn''t matter much.

    Thus, Ma Lu always picked the brand that offered the best value for money, ideally with a discount.

    However, he hadn''t decided what to upgrade next.

    The Traveler''s Bracelet and the Chef''s Knife were not top priorities, and the Collection Bag had already reached Level 3. To upgrade it further would cost him 400 new points.

    The cash-to-new points exchange ratio was around 100:1, which meant Ma Lu would need to spend forty thousand yuan to increase his carrying capacity by another 100 kilograms.

    It wouldn''t be a loss, as nobody everined about bringing back too much.

    But 40,000 is a substantial sum.

    Moreover, even though everyone who tried the Sand Tiger Burger raved about it and there were no shortage of peoplevishly rmending it on social media or elsewhere,

    it was indeed somewhat "harder to sell"pared to the Fried Jackal Meat Cake and the Deep Sea Supreme Emperor Grill.

    The issue definitely wasn''t with the taste, for with a Deliciousness Index of ¡ï¡ï¡î, it was unquestionably number one among all the dishes ever sold by The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall to this point.

    The reactions of the customers could confirm this.

    But for college students ustomed to sharing a bowl of instant noodles among an entire dorm room, a 35-yuan burger seemed a bit too extravagant.

    Through his first day''s test run, Ma Lu estimated that a daily sales volume of 400 servings could be ensured, but going beyond that would prove to be difficult.

    And with the current Level 3 Collection Bag, this supply quantity was already achievable.

    This feeling... it''s like practicing until you hit a bottleneck.

    Continuing the routine won''t bring any progress, so I must look for some kind of breakthrough.

    Could it really be time to rent a storefront and start a business?

    Otherwise, when I hunt for higher star ingredients in the future, it might not be good to raise the price anymore, to improve the profit margin.

    However, starting a business also has many problems. Firstly, arge startup capital is required; secondly, Old Wang has no official status; the source of the ingredients would also be hard to exin, not to mention dealing with a myriad of inspections. Just thinking about it all is quite a headache.

    Forget it, I''ve been making decent money anyway. I might as well keep selling by the university gate for a while longer.

    As everyone knows, university students are like rape flowers; they may not seem to have much oil, but if you press hard enough, you can still squeeze out quite a bit.

    Over the next few days, Ma Lu and Old Wang went to sell burgers at the West Gate of Aerospace University as usual, and even increased daily sales to 400, with profits rising to 13,000 yuan.

    Looking at the payments arriving through WeChat and Alipay, Ma Lu suddenly felt that selling at his alma mater''s gate wasn''t so bad after all.

    But on the fourth day, an unexpected incident urred.

    Ma Lu handed a freshly-made burger to a couple in front of him, who were probably students from Aerospace University. The man was tall and handsome, dressed head to toe in VETEMENTS, and wore a pair of Hogan sneakers.

    Although the girl wasn''t decked out in many luxury brands, she had long legs and a slender waist, with an otherworldly charm. Even in a university filled with beauties, she stood out.

    Ma Lu couldn''t help but take a few extra nces, and the guy was very attentive, saying to the girl,

    "Nan Nan, if you want to eat a burger, we can go to Blue Frog. What good food could possiblye from a street stall? Or, the taste at Slowboat is also okay. We could take my newly bought 001; it elerates to a hundred kilometers in just 3.8 seconds."

    Zhang Yinian frowned slightly, "Cheng Cheng, don''t talk nonsense in front of the owner. I''ve heard many people say these burgers are delicious, and I''ve always wanted to try them. Plus, we''ve already bought them; let''s not waste money."

    "How much could it be?" Cheng Cheng''s gaze had never left Zhang Yinian, and upon seeing Zhang Yinian reaching for her phone to pay, he quickly stepped in.

    "I''ll do it, I''ll do it. You can''t be splitting the bill with me at a street stall, how much?" Hisst sentence, however, was directed at Ma Lu.

    "70."

    "Huh?" Cheng Cheng was taken aback, seemingly surprised that the street stall burger could fetch that price, and blurted out, "Are you recognizing me and sizing me up, trying to rip off some sucker?"

    Ma Lu pointed at the A4 paper posted in front of the snack stall, "Not at all, everyone pays the same."

    "You can actually sell it at this price?"

    "Why not?"

    The reply didn''te from Ma Lu, but from a nearby old man in a white tank-top, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, who spoke with confidence and rity.

    He had wandered over herest week, curious about The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall bustling with business and bought a Deep Sea Supreme Emperor Grill. After eating, he instantly became a loyal fan of the stall.

    Now, hees over every so often to buy, and seeing someone dare to question Chef Wang''s skill, he immediately jumped to defend.

    "You don''t need to use those fancy terms; let me tell you, you might not know this since you''re young, but all these foreign things were stolen from our great Qing Dynasty.

    "Yeah, burgers too, aren''t they just rou jia mo? That''s right, stolen by what''s his name, some Kernel from KFC, right? He was a colonel at the time and entered the city with the Eight-Nation Alliance... So burgers... they are the most authentic when it''s from China."

    Seeing the old man''s story going off on a tangent, Ma Lu quickly handed over his serving of the burger.

    At that moment, not far away, Squid Brother suddenly looked rmed, dropped the half-grilled squid skewer in his hand, and with a speed that would leave thunderstruck, leapt onto his tricycle.

 Chapter 43: 43: The Feeling of Being Pushed

    Squid Brother hesitated when he passed by The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall but eventually, he rushed to tell Ma Lu, "Run!"

    "Hmm?"

    It wasn''t just Squid Brother; at that moment, other street vendors seemed to have heard some kind ofmand and abandoned what they were doing, jumping into their own vehicles.

    The three-wheelers elerated past Ma Lu like runaway wild horses, the two girls selling sugarcane juice, who didn''t have a vehicle, didn''t just sit and wait for disaster, they actually picked up their table and started to sprint with all their might.

    Having shared the sidewalk for so long, Ma Lu was astonished to learn for the first time just how strong their arms were.

    This action by the vendors left the customerspletely dumbfounded.

    Some had just finished paying when they turned around to see the vendor rolling up their mat and fleeing, while others were in the middle of their meal only to discover that the tables and chairs had disappeared, leaving them standing in ce, holding their soup bowls, not knowing what to do.

    Some young men, not willing to let the food that was almost in their mouths slip away, joined the fleeing masses, desperately following behind.

    But it was an auntie selling grilled cold noodles who proved to be the most righteous, as she yanked a female student who had just scanned a QR code onto her vehicle.

    "Girl,e with me, and once we''re in a safe ce, auntie will make it for you."

    The female student waspletely bewildered, and by the time she came to her senses, she was already whirling in the wind.

    The streets were in utter chaos, and Ma Lu patted Old Wang on the shoulder, "Stop gawking, we should bail too."

    Old Wang was puzzled, "Why should we go? Are there robbers?"

    "Where would robberse from in broad daylight? But if we don''t leave now, our tricycle might indeed be in jeopardy, and if they discover you''re unregistered, then we''re really in trouble."

    As Ma Lu was speaking, he had already swiftly packed up all their things and said to the customers waiting behind them.

    "We''re also closing up shop, anyone who''s paid already remember to @ me in the group, and I''ll refund you."

    Although the patrons were disappointed, they all expressed their understanding.

    Afterward, Ma Lu and Old Wang boarded the tricycle again, and as soon as they did, Ma Lu twisted the throttle to the max.

    However, this was their first time encountering such a situation, and their reaction was slower than the other vendors'', causing them tog behind the main group after this slight dy.

    Through the rearview mirror, Ma Lu saw three white cars with "City Management Enforcement" emzoned on them, barreling towards them with a menacing air.

    One of them stopped, and a team of officers in blue uniforms got out. A vendor selling socks and costume jewelry, who didn''t run due to a misguided hope, got surrounded by them.

    First they took photos, then they recorded the vendor''s identity information, and in the end, they confiscated all his merchandise.

    Witnessing this, Ma Lu twisted the throttle even tighter, and when they reached an intersection, the tricycle convoy scattered in every direction to flee.

    Ma Lu chose a direction as well, but no matter where he went, there was always a white car tailing them. It seemed that the vehicle had set its sights on them specifically, ignoring the other vendors, and was relentlessly pursuing them.

    Additionally, the white car had much better power than Ma Lu''s tricycle. If it wasn''t for the need to adhere to trafficws and the fear of scraping pedestrians, it probably would have caught up already.

    Ma Lu deliberately choseplex side streets with challenging surroundings, but still couldn''t shake the tail behind them, which, on the contrary, was getting increasingly closer.

    It could only mean that those scenarios in the movies were too fictional; without dim-witted antagonists ying along, the protagonists'' shy maneuvers were utterly useless.

    Seeing they were about to be caught, Ma Lu had no choice but to ce hisst hope on Old Wang, adopting an attitude of trying a desperate remedy for a desperate illness.

    "If you have any tricks up your sleeve, you''d better use them now, or it''ll be toote."

    Old Wang still had that expressionless face, which made Ma Lu doubt whether he was aware of how dire the situation was.

    Thankfully, a momentter, Old Wang finally spoke up, "Do you want to shake off those people behind us?"

    "That''s right!"

    Ma Lu''s peripheral vision caught the small white car''s front overtaking the tail of the three-wheeled cart, making his eyelids twitch uncontrobly.

    Old Wang responded with a single "okay" before turning his head and jumping off.

    "Hey, hey, hey, stop!" Ma Lu shouted in rm, reaching out to grab him but ended up clutching at thin air.

    Just when he thought Old Wang nned to sacrifice himself to lighten the three-wheeler and speed it up, he saw Old Wangnd steadily on the ground.

    Then, with long strides, he ced his hands on the rear of the three-wheeled cart.

    "Hold steady," said Old Wang, before he began picking up his pace.

    ......

    Cheng Cheng was lectured by an old man who popped out of nowhere while he was buying a hamburger.

    The problem was the old man''s opinions were so bizarre that Cheng Cheng felt like he had stumbled into a forum for the senseless, leaving him unsure how to respond.

    After all, you can''t really join them on their level and start arguing whether hamburgers originated from the Qing dynasty, right?

    Cheng Cheng was feeling peeved, but then he turned to see the snack stalls being chased by city management into a frenzy; the shady stall that had just ripped him off was among them, and he couldn''t help feeling a bit of schadenfreude.

    "Nan Nan, who do you think is faster, a three-wheeled cart or an electric car?"

    Zhang Yinian ignored him, and Cheng Cheng probably felt a bit bored, so he added, "Let''s go, we can go to the movies. You''ve been wanting to see that new film by Old Mouzi, haven''t you? I''ll drive us there."

    Zhang Yinian knew Cheng Cheng had just bought a new car and wanted to show off a bit. If she didn''t give him the chance, he would probably pester her about it for days.

    So, Zhang Yinian could only nod lightly.

    Cheng Cheng was overjoyed at her response and didn''t bother with his hamburger anymore. "Then wait for me. I''ll go get the car."

    Cheng Cheng''s orange 001 was parked on the side of the road. It was a new car he had just picked up that day for over 370,000 yuan.

    His family was in business, but his dad was quite strict and didn''t want him to be too shy at school. So, he had badgered them for a long time before they finally conceded and got him the car.

    Still in his excitement phase, Zhang Yinian had barely sat down when he started exining everything from the tires to the skylight.

    He was especially excited about the motor, raving about high-performance permanent ma synchronous motors, silicon carbide technology, peak power of dual motors, maximum rotational speed ¡ª he went on and on, not noticing that Zhang Yinian was bing quite impatient.

    Moreover, at the intersection, Cheng Cheng insisted his girlfriend experience what a 0 to 100 km/h eleration in under 4 seconds felt like.

    He switched to sport mode in advance, grip on the steering wheel, and floored the gas pedal in thest second before the red light turned green.

    The next moment, he saw a three-wheeled cart shoot out from his oblique side and overtake all the vehicles on the road with a cloud of dust. It disappeared from his sight in less than a second.

    Meanwhile, Cheng Cheng''s 001 was still picking up speed, and even though he felt the strong push against his back, the joy and excitement had vanished, reced by an open-mouthed, ghost sighting expression.

    Zhang Yinian snorted, "So this is the eleration that rivals supercars? Why can''t it even beat a three-wheeler?"

    "yu...yu..."

    "What are you saying, rain? It''s not even raining outside," remarked Zhang Yinian as she nced out the window.

    "The, The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall," Cheng Cheng swallowed hard before blurting out the whole sentence. "The one that just passed, it seemed like The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall, their speed felt like it was hitting 300, or is my vision blurred?!"

 Chapter 44: 44 Eyeliner

    Under the overpass, Ma Lu had been supporting himself against a bridge pir and retching for about three minutes, but he still felt nauseous.

    Every time he closed his eyes, he was back on the tricycle, speeding crazily, with the surrounding scenery retreating at a terrifyingly fast pace.

    Many times, Ma Lu felt he would crash into a vehicle or a pedestrian in the next second, but at thest moment, the tricycle would always miraculously dodge the obstacles ahead with a strange posture and the smallest turning angle.

    The most dangerous encounter was when Ma Lu brushed past a dump truck, its mud-sttered headlights almost smashing into his face¡ªif he had been any slower, he would have had to start all over again.

    Just before reaching this overpass, the tricycle had even kept pace with a distant high-speed train for a while, eventually leaving it behind.

    They didn''t stop until they reached a ce with hardly any people.

    While vomiting, Ma Lu said to Old Wang, "Blegh, your tricycle is really this powerful? Blegh... Why didn''t you escape when we were being attacked before?"

    "Because I was almost out of battery by then."

    Old Wang, having pushed the tricycle so far without a trace of sweat on his face or any change to his bald head''s hairstyle, paused before adding.

    "And their attacks couldn''t hurt me."

    "Alright," Ma Lu wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, gasping, "Anyway, at least we weren''t caught."

    "The sand whiting burgers aren''t sold out yet."

    "How much ingredients do we have left?"

    "52 servings."

    "Let me think of a solution." Ma Lu took out his phone and sent a message to Shen Yue, asking her to check if the city enforcement officers were still around.

    About 10 minutester, Ma Lu received a reply saying the white cars and blue uniforms had all moved on and some of the bolder vendors had returned to their stalls.

    After throwing up for a while, Ma Lu felt much better and was ready to go back, but upon opening his phone''s navigation, he realized they were already outside the city.

    Well, Old Wang had pushed the tricycle more than 40 kilometers away in just 7 minutes.

    Although he could ask Old Wang to help push it back, Ma Lu no longer wanted to experience the eleration that was more thrilling than Form 1 racing.

    He preferred to ride back slowly by himself.

    After relieving himself in the spinach field by the road, Ma Lu resumed his journey, even stopping at a small shop along the way to charge the tricycle for a while.

    In the end, it took almost two hours to get back to the West Gate of Aerospace University, which had recovered its usual bustle.

    Squid Brother and his fellow townsmen were busy tending to customers, and those two strong girls selling sugarcane juice were back as well.

    Seeing Ma Lu and Old Wang, Squid Brother seemed a bit surprised, "You guys didn''t get your vehicle confiscated?"

    He was a veteran of many battles, having immediately fled in his vehicle at the first sign of trouble, while still keeping an eye on what was happening behind him.

    Seeing Ma Lu and Old Wang''s tricycle apparently falling behind, he had inwardly rejoiced.

    Although he had called out to Ma Lu to remind him to run, the next second, he actually regretted it.

    In recent times, he had been learning from the protagonists in novels, diligentlyying low, feigning good rtions with Ma Lu to lower thetter''s guard, all the while harboring ulterior motives and building up his strength in secret.

    Like a coiled snake, hey in wait for that lethal strike.

    But Squid Brother got a bit too engrossed in his role and, when crisis struck, he continued acting like a kind elder brother; after speaking, he wanted to p himself.

    If The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall''s tricycle was confiscated, they wouldn''t be able to set up their stall for at least two or three days, and others could take advantage of these few days to earn some extra money.

    If Ma Lu and Old Wang got scared and stopped setting up their stall, or didn''t set up at the West Gate of Aerospace University anymore, that would be even better news that would make everyone ecstatic, and probably all the street vendors on this street would set off firecrackers.

    Just thinking about it kept Squid Brother so excited that he couldn''t fall asleep.

    Fortunately, in the end, Ma Lu had suffered from hisck of experience. He had been warned but didn''t run away immediately. As a result, he ended up being targeted because he was at the back of the pack.

    Although Squid Brother didn''t witness the moment when Ma Lu''s cart was confiscated, he waited a long time and didn''t see The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall return, so he guessed they probably had been caught.

    Unexpectedly, he saw Ma Lu and Old Wang again that evening.

    Ma Lu''splexion wasn''t very good, a bit pale, but he seemed to be in a good mood and even patted Squid Brother''s shoulder after getting off the bike. Find your favorite tales at m v l e mp yr

    "Thank you, we''re fine. We just took a trip out of the city for a breath of air," said Ma Lu.

    Squid Brother scornfully thought that young people were just young, having been chased by city management and still trying to pass it off as a trip out of town, but he still showed a simple and honest smile on his face.

    "That''s good, that''s good. It''s good that you weren''t caught," he said.

    "Right," Ma Lu added as he moved closer. "Old brother, you''ve been setting up your stall here for a while. Does the kind of thing that happened earlier happen often?"

    "Actually, not too much," Squid Brother said. "Those city management officers draw sries for their work, and they''d rather stay in the office and enjoy the air conditioning every day. But there''s no helping it; if someone reports them, they have to take action."

    "Report?"

    "Yeah. Like if you set up your stall in front of someone''s shop, affecting their business, or if you''re too loud and disturb the peace, block the road, things like that. But around Aerospace University, these kinds of incidents rarely happen."

    "Then why did city managemente this time?" Ma Lu asked, knowing that street vendors like Squid Brother, who operated in the vicinity, usually had a good sense of what was going on.

    Sure enough, after thinking for a moment, Squid Brother said, "When you think about it, it was about time."

    "What time?"

    "Health inspections. The higher-ups issue tasks, and during this time, the city management officers will be especially active. You need to be a bit more cautious."

    "So, are they going toe again?"

    "Most likely, they will. But as long as you''re more alert than usual, keep an eye on your surroundings when you''re free, and run a bit faster when theye, it shouldn''t be a big problem," Squid Brother exined.

    Actually, Squid Brother didn''t really want to tell Ma Lu all this, as it was akin to sharing critical information with apetitor. Still, he also had to maintain his image as a warm-hearted big brother, and couldn''te up with any decent lies on the spot, so he just said what came to mind.

    After saying this, heforted himself that it was just to lull the enemy into a false sense of security, to lower their guard.

    And, as expected, Ma Lu fell for it again. He thanked him once more, even bought a grilled squid from him, eating it on his way back to his stall.

    As Squid Brother had described, the next two days saw two more surprise inspections.

    However, Ma Lu no longer needed Old Wang''s help. With the previous experience, he managed to handle it all by himself smoothly.

    Once again utilizing the home court advantage, he offered sand dab burgers as a bounty and mobilized over eight hundred of his followers, along with their friends, to be his informants.

    Under the lure of free food, the little white city management cars had barely approached the crossroads before the students studying in the library above spotted them and swiftly ryed the information to Ma Lu.

    This led to Squid Brother and the others treating The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall as their weathervane. When they saw Ma Lu start to pack up, all the street vendors on that street followed suit and retreated together.

 Chapter 45: 45 Siblings

    Although this week was a bit more strenuous than the past two, Ma Lu ultimately managed to achieve his sales target smoothly.

    In six days, he earned a total ie of 80,535, with a profit of 75,926.7. Looking at the over 80,000 yuan in his bank ount, he was truly exhrated.

    Moreover, there was more than just this piece of good news; Old Wang finally umted enough experience, and his chef level upgraded from Level 1 to Level 2.

    "Hey, what''s the difference between Level 2 and Level 1?" Ma Lu asked as he munched on an apple in his rented room.

    "The level up improved my cooking skills, giving me a 25% chance of making a gourmet dish, which boosts the Deliciousness Index by one star based on the original foundation."

    "So you''re saying, without depending on the quality of the ingredients, just the advancement of the chef''s skills can add an extra star?" Ma Lu was surprised.

    "This is the divide between an excellent chef and a mediocre one. An excellent chef can create unexpected delicious dishes even with ordinary ingredients," Old Wang stated seriously.

    "That sounds kind of reasonable," Ma Lu nodded and then had a thought, his eyes brightening.

    "Wait a minute, if you keep leveling up, your chances of creating gourmet dishes will continue to increase, right? That means by the time you get to Level 5, you should be able to reliably add stars. In that case, can''t we sell low-star ingredients at the price of high-star ones?"

    Ma Lu felt like he saw a new financial path, realizing that as long as Old Wang''s level was high enough, he might even be able to sell 1-star ingredients as 5-star ones.

    "This will require a sufficient amount of experience points," Old Wang said.

    Hearing this, Ma Lu finally made up his mind.

    No, the pockets of those college students are too empty. I still have to find a way to start up a storefront, to have those working folks willingly hand over their wallets. That''s the only way to keep pushing the unit price higher.

    But this matter isn''t urgent, setting up a shop is no small feat, and there is still plenty of preparatory work to do.

    For now, Ma Lu focused his attention on the uing hunt.

    ......

    Boggy had been feeling inexplicably irritabletely. She didn''t know what time Ma Lu left that day or if he had heard what she said after.

    It had been difficult enough to find the opportunity to rify the misunderstanding, but after she did, their rtionship seemed to have be even more awkward.

    Boggy didn''t even know how to face Ma Lu anymore and could only silently drive her motorcycle.

    This time, however, she arrived at the storage point even earlier than Ma Lu, with three motorcycles following behind her.

    Seeing Boggy park her bike, the three people behind her slowed down as well. Apart from Mai Mai, there was also a young couple.

    "Has the deputy captain not arrived yet?" the younger man asked.

    "Hmm, he''ll be here soon," Boggy replied, pulling out a pocket watch to check the time. "In another half a minute, he should arrive."

    "Half a minute?" the young man was skeptical. He looked around and didn''t see any motorcycles approaching, so he asked again, "Are you sure this is the storage point you agreed on with him?"

    The young woman beside him gently tugged at his clothes, suggesting he should speak less, but the young man seemed not to notice and continued. "Could the deputy captain have remembered the wrong ce? Should I go check the nearby storage points?"

    "It''s good to see enthusiasm in neers, but you also have to trust the captain''s judgment," Mai Mai said leisurely.

    The young man still wanted to say something, but the tugging at his back became more persistent.

    "Brother," the young woman said anxiously.

    "I''m just making a suggestion to the captain."

    "Not that, there''s someoneing," the young woman whispered.

    ```

    "Huh?" The young man turned his head and indeed saw a ck figure behind him, a look of astonishment spreading across his face.

    He had just surveyed the surroundings and hadn''t seen anyone.

    Moreover, there were no vehicles around this person, so how did they appear here?

    The girl was also quite scared and moved closer to her brother, with even Mai Mai showing a surprised expression.

    However, she recognized Ma Lu at a nce, "Deputy Captain, how do you always pop up out of nowhere?"

    "This is one of the effects of my psychic power, called instant teleportation," Ma Lu casually lied. He also noticed the siblings not far away and raised his eyebrows, "New recruits?"

    "Yes, Seta and Sadie," Boggy introduced, "The brother is an Earth-Series psychic power user, and the sister is a Beast-Series psychic power user."

    After speaking, she pointed to Ma Lu, "Ma Lu, the deputy captain of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, skilled in Meat Pigeon Series psychic powers."

    "Meat Pigeon?" Seta furrowed his brows, "What''s that? Why have I never heard of it?"

    "Today you''re in for a treat," Ma Lu nodded toward Boggy and Mai Mai, "I''ll go get the equipment first."

    He entered the password on the metal cylinder, waited for the container to rise to the surface, and walked in.

    When he came out, he had changed into hunting clothes and mounted his motorcycle.

    Boggy began by briefing Ma Lu on thest hunt''s takings, the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream alone sold for 201,263 Electric Degrees, with the other prey totaling up to 12,913 Electric Degrees.

    After deducting the guild''s 10%mission and the 12,000 Electric Degrees rental fee for the air transport, the amount each person received was 60,252.8 Electric Degrees.

    Hearing this number, Seta and Sadie couldn''t help but swallow hard, their eyes filled with envy as they looked at the trio.

    They had heard about the recently formed Twin Sunflower Hunting Group''s good fortune, always reaping fine rewards, which is why they wanted to join.

    The two of them were really short of money.

    So when Boggy passed on the 15 red-bellied rattlesnakes she had bought at the market to Ma Lu and imed that these expenses would be included in the Hunting Group''s budget, Seta couldn''t help but speak out again.

    "This seems a bit inappropriate."

    Boggy nced at Seta, "I know you and your sister are quite capable, but you''re not so good that I must keep you. Right now, you haven''t even passed the neers'' assessment, and you have no right to criticize the Hunting Group''s affairs."

    On hearing this, Seta didn''t back down but instead looked directly into Boggy''s eyes, "If we pass the neers'' assessment, then can we raise our concerns about the unreasonable parts to you, the Captain?"

    "You can."

    Watching from the side, Ma Lu nudged Mai Mai, curious, "Where did you find this blockhead?"

    "Hmm, they sent in their own application letters, but indeed, their overall quality is the best among the job seekers. And it turns out they have some connection to the Captain," replied Mai Mai.

    "What kind of connection?"

    Mai Mai adjusted her hair, "I also heard it from someone else, their father was once an elder in the Harpist Hunting Group, but he had to leave the Hunting Group early due to illness. Afterward, they spent a lot of money on treatment, which only barely kept the disease from worsening¡ªstill relying on expensive medication to sustain life.

    "Their family has always been in a poor financial situation, and Captain Li, when he was alive, seemed to send money regrly, albeit anonymously. After his death, that money likely stopped.

    "The siblings even had to drop out of school early to be hunters. Many Hunting Groups took advantage of their youth andck of backing, treating them harshly. Seta probably developed his overbearing nature during that time.

    "After all, he has a younger sister. Isn''t that just what a ck-breasted chicken does when facing an enemy? They cluck, spread their wings, raise their feathers, trying to appear very intimidating so that maybe the enemy will be scared away.

    "But behaving like this can easily offend people. It''s said that because he offended a deputy captain of their previous Hunting Group, they had to leave."

    ```

 Chapter 46: 46 Work Plan

    Ma Lu simply inquired about the new team member''s background with Mai Mai and then turned his attention to the newly obtained Strange Objects.

    In thest hunting game, he obtained a total of 105 blessings, among which there were 52 White Blessings, 46 Blue Blessings, 6 Purple Blessings, and 1 Golden Blessing.

    Final score¡ª2112.

    Thanks to the Golden Blessing worth 1000 points that he sessfully grabbed at thest moment in pursuit of his dream, his score for this round was doubled once again.

    Adding the 46 points left fromst time, Ma Lu now had 2158 points in hand, marching from modest wealth towards tycoon status.

    So this time, he purchased two Strange Objects in one go¡ªthe [Work n Book] and [Little Piggy Bank].

    The function of the Work n Book is to select an existing blessing, increasing the chances of subsequent blessings rted to the chosen one by 50%.

    Beneath that is a line of small print: Once a blessing is chosen, it cannot be changed within the same game.

    At first nce, Ma Lu was captivated by this Strange Object.

    Although the effects of the Work n Book were somewhat vague and, true to its name, intended to n, the actual work might not go ording to the n, only increasing the probability by 50%.

    But if Ma Lu''s guess was correct, this item could speed up the construction of a ystyle. It belonged to the highly valuable, key items in the Meat Pigeon game.

    As everyone knows, the most vulnerable period for a team in a Meat Pigeon game is when the ystyle has yet to take shape.

    And nothing is more frustrating than finally oveing a powerful enemy only to find that none of the blessings that drop are the ones you need.

    The Work n Book could alleviate these troubles to some extent and also further enhance the value of the Heartbeat Lottery, making the blessings obtained from it more useful.

    Reducing the chances of inexplicable blessings like [Corpse Bomb] from appearing.

    The function of the other Strange Object, the Little Piggy Bank, is much more straightforward.

    ¡ªEvery time you pass a game round, you''ll earn an extra 20% interest on the points in hand.

    20% interest is not a lot, but it''s not a little either.

    Ma Lu had just unlocked the Strange Object Store and was still in the phase where he needed to quickly enhance his strength, so he rarely kept points in hand.

    However, after getting this Strange Object, it could be worthwhile to save up a bit when there''s nothing of particr interest in the store, to earn some interest.

    This time, the Work n Book cost Ma Lu 999 points and the Little Piggy Bank 499, leaving him 614 points remaining.

    After buying the Strange Objects, Ma Lu used the Sticky Web to retrieve the Designated Divine Skill: Charge On Hit.

    But he did not rush to activate the effect of the Work n Book.

    Instead, he first ughtered those 15 Red-Bellied Rattlesnakes, nning to see what blessings he got before deciding which ystyle direction to choose next.

    Now that Ma Lu had money, he began toin that umting blessings had been too slow before and that if danger struck right after his arrival, he might not have time to react.

    So he simply had Boggy help buy some fresh ingredients in advance on the market for the direct farming of blessings.

    The reason he chose Red-Bellied Rattlesnakes was because they were cheap enough, lightweight for easy transport, and they were 2-star ingredients.

    The price for a live Red-Bellied Rattlesnake was around 90 Electric Degrees, and even dead ones could be taken back to sell to restaurants, with a recovery price of about 60 Electric Degrees.

    Purchasing 15 Red-Bellied Rattlesnakes cost Ma Lu only 450 Electric Degrees, but in return, he could get 15 Blue Blessings, or even Purple Blessings.

    In Ma Lu''s view, that was quite a bargain.

    Boggy, upon hearing his n, even took the initiative to suggest that this sum of money should be counted as a team expense.

    The reasoning was very simple: Ma Lu''s Meat Pigeon Ability ultimately benefited the entire Hunting Group, so it was only fair that the team, rather than Ma Lu himself, should bear the cost.

    Of course, Ma Lu thought it was better to have the expenses reimbursed by the team, and he did not decline the offer.

    And now, it was time for the much-anticipated face-betting segment.

    From the 15 Red-bellied Rattlesnakes, Ma Lu ended up with 2 Purple Blessings and 13 Blue Blessings in the end.

    Among the 2 Purple Blessings, one was a recement after triggering a lottery-like upgrade effect, and another was due to the small probability of receiving a Purple from a 2-star ingredient.

    Luck was on his side, Ma Lu thought as he looked at the 2 Purple Blessings in hand.

    [Headshot: Team members have a 33% chance to aim at the target''s head during long-range attacks.]

    [Resurrection: Team members have a 33% chance of resurrection after death.]

    There wasn''t much to say about the first blessing, Ma Lu didn''t even know what type of weapons Sadie and Seta, the newly-joined siblings, were ustomed to using; regardless, the blessing suited his Small Hand Crossbow quite well.

    However, Ma Lu knew he wasn''t the main damage-dealer of the team, nor did he wish to be the main damage-dealer¡ªtoo dangerous for his liking.

    So he had no ns to build around that blessing.

    As for the second blessing, it left Ma Lu deep in thought.

    A 33% resurrection rate might seem high at first nce, but there was still a 67% chance of it failingpletely, and even if those odds were reversed, no one would dare gamble with life and death at stake.

    It seemed like aside from being an unreliable fallback, the blessing didn''t have much practicality.

    However, it did oddly seem to connect with the Golden Blessing [Corpse Bomb] he had obtained in the previous round.

    But Ma Lu quickly cast aside this terrifying thought.

    As always, when life and death were concerned, it was better not to fool around.

    In the end, Ma Lu chose a Blue Blessing, [Poisoned Waters], to activate the work n''s effect.

    [Poisoned Waters: Team members with Water-Series Psychic Power have a 15% chance of adding poison to their abilities upon use.]

    Mai Mai''s Psychic Power could only be used once, and it was already powerful enough without the boost from a blessing. Since Seta and Sadie were new and Ma Lu didn''t know much about them yet, he decided to prioritize enhancing Boggy''s strength.

    He would only consider choosing a blessing that could benefit the others when there weren''t any suitable ones for Boggy.

    Seta watched coldly as Ma Lu ughtered the Red-bellied Rattlesnakes, and thinking that his money was also involved, he couldn''t help feeling a pang of distress.

    However, having been warned once by Boggy, he stayed silent this time, though the expression on his face still betrayed his thoughts.

    Then he saw Ma Lu walk over to Boggy and Mai Mai, shaking hands with them in turn, before approaching the siblings and extending his hand again with a slight smile.

    "You wanted to know what my Psychic Power was, right? Then join my team and experience it for yourself."

    Perhaps worried her brother might say something to offend the two leaders again, Sadie shook Ma Lu''s hand first, stammering, "Please, please teach us."

    Seeing this, Seta had no choice but to shake hands with Ma Lu, albeit reluctantly. His expression then turned serious as he felt his body be somewhat lighter.

    Among those 13 Blue Blessings were ones that increased basic attributes; as soon as Seta joined the team, he immediately started to enjoy the benefits of these Blessings.

 Chapter 47: 47 Toxin Stacking

    Seeing the look of surprise on Seta''s face, Boggy took the initiative to exin.

    "Ma Lu''s psychic power can enhance the abilities of teammates when activated, but he needs to sacrifice prey for the ability to work. Those red-bellied rattlesnakes I bought from the market were used for this purpose."

    "So we inherited the power of those red-bellied rattlesnakes?"

    Seta quickly checked his body and only breathed a sigh of relief when he confirmed there were no scales or anything else unusual on him.

    He looked somewhat puzzled, apparently still unable to ept what had happened.

    Ma Lu didn''t exin further, as such things are not easily rified by mere words. It would be better to wait for Seta to experience it firsthand during actualbat.

    After a brief familiarization, the group moved on to the main event, preparing for the hunt.

    With Twin Sunflower Hunting Group expanding its recruitment, the team had grown to five members. It was beginning to look substantial, increasingly resembling a small hunting group.

    But Boggy remained cautious, starting with hunting small prey nearby to allow the team members to harmonize.

    Seta was outspoken and acted rashly, not very likable, but he indeed possessed strength. His psychic power was to create sand soil puppets.

    The sand soil puppets he created were as tall as two men. Although they moved clumsily, they had excellent strength. Most importantly, they couldn''t feel pain and were very enduring, making them ideal for attracting enemy fire at the front lines.

    His sister, Sadie, was the exact opposite. She behaved timidly and always seemed to hide behind her brother as if the slightest disturbance could startle her.

    Yet, once engaged in battle, she was unexpectedly fierce.

    Ma Lu had encountered other Beast-Series Psychic Ability users before, like Baldy, the leader of the Treasure Hunting Group, whose Ape Arm could enhance his own strength when activated.

    As for Sadie, also of the Beast Series, her psychic power did not follow the route of attribute enhancement.

    Facing a group of Two-Headed Hyenas, Sadie rolled up her sleeves, revealing her right arm covered in a thickyer of soft armor.

    As Sadie recited, the soft armor on her arm seemed toe alive, quickly expanding into numerous thorns.

    She shot out dozens of thorns in a single breath, and in an instant, the four Two-Headed Hyenasy in pools of blood.

    Ma Lu let out a soft exmation, not only because he noticed how well Sadie''s ability synergized with [Headshot] but also because it seemed familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

    "Does it remind you of a Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog?"

    Teacher Mai Mai, who was watching the battle, offered timely enlightenment, "Sadie''s Beast-Series Psychokinesis originates from the Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog. However, her thorns aren''t as powerful as those of the Lync Hedgehog, capable of piercing through at most 1mm-thick steel te.

    "But the advantage is they grow very quickly, about a hundred in roughly three days. The current limit is three hundred thorns, and with the increase in psychic power, both the limit of thorns and the growth rate have room for improvement. It''s a very decent psychic ability."

    In addition to the formidable assistance of Seta and Sadie, the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group had weed another new member. This time, Boggy brought along the coyote pup of the Wind-walking Prairie Wolf for the hunt.

    It was growing quickly; its size had increased substantially in the two weeks since theyst met.

    Before leaving home, Boggy ced it in a canvas bag tied to the back of the motorcycle, and during the hunt, he would release it to help.

    The Wind-walking Prairie Wolf cub that Boggy was training was very smart. With just over ten days of training, she had already taught it to perform simplemands such as striking, sitting down, and retreating.

    However, since it was still in its juvenile period and had not yet fully grown, its strength was limited.

    It was at an awkward stage in its wolf life, where it could bark fiercer than anyone else but was unable to defeat anyone.

    But Boggy had never expected it to be immediately useful. She was more focused on umting hunting experience for it, allowing it to continue growing.

    On the other hand, Ma Lu, who was idle at that time, also shook hands with the little wolf named Little Grey. As expected, thetter''s name did not appear in the character column, nor could it receive any bonuses.

    Three hourster, Boggy felt that the team members were sufficiently familiar with each other, so she decided to set out again and continue deeper into the desert.

    This time she nned to use baiting as her hunting method again, but she needed to be farther from the area where they baitedst week since the prey around that region had been hunted once.

    Although new wild beasts would upy that territoryter, it would probably be quite difficult to encounter any valuable prey in the short term.

    Now that the Hunting Group was basically formed, Boggy was more daring and nned to try her luck at the border of the Level 2 Hunting Area and Level 3 Hunting Area.

    Through the tireless efforts of her teammates, Ma Lu had acquired another Purple Blessing, eight Blue Blessings, and neen White Blessings over time.

    He could feel that ever since he started using the work n book and selected [Poisoned Waters], the blessings rted to poison had noticeably increased.

    One of the Purple Blessings he acquired this time was also in this category.

    [Toxin Stacking: The poisoning effects attached to each attack by team members can stack up to 99yers. Upon reaching the limit, it will deal a massive one-time damage to the target.]

    Ma Lu had seen the term "massive one-time damage" before, in [Corpse Bomb], which was a Golden Blessing.

    Byparison, [Toxin Stacking] was only a Purple Blessing, so the conditions for triggering it were much more stringent.

    umting 99 poisonous attacks was quite a challenge. However, within the Meat Pigeon system, the usefulness of a blessing depended on how well it worked with other blessings.

    For instance, the two Blue Blessings that Ma Lu had previously acquired seemed insignificant at first, but they became much more valuable once [Toxin Stacking] came into y.

    [Add Poison: There is a 15% chance that the poison effect attached to attacks by team members will count as an additionalyer upon hitting the target.]

    [Slow Onset: There is a 15% chance that the duration of the continuous damage caused by the poison effect attached to team members'' attacks will be doubled and the damage halved when hitting the target.]

    Both of these blessings could undoubtedly increase the activation efficiency of [Toxin Stacking].

    However, what truly exhrated him was another Purple Blessing he got at minute 37 after baiting had begun.

    [Quenching Poison: When team members attack a target that is in a poisoned state, there is a 33% chance that the following attacks will also carry a poisoning effect, whichsts 15 seconds.]

    The advent of this blessing meant that other team members, including Ma Lu, could join the stacking poison ranks, greatly enhancing the efficiency of stacking poison.

    And at minute 128, Ma Lu''s luck exploded as he obtained another key blessing by triggering the Heartbeat Jackpot upgrade.

    [Harmless Treatment: The continuous damage from poison effects attached to team members'' attacks no longer causes continuous damage to the target, instead adding an extra 3yers of poison effects.]

 Chapter 48: 48 Toxic Explosion Flow

    "Harmless Treatment" sacrificed the persistent poison damage in exchange for a more rapid toxin stacking speed, allowing one attack to apply fouryers of poison.

    If everything went smoothly, 25 attacks could trigger the final massive damage, and with the aid of blue blessings like "Add Poison," the actual speed of toxin stacking could be even faster.

    By then, the poison explosion strategy centered around "Toxin Stacking" was basically viable.

    Unfortunately, the team''s luck in hunting this time was average, and despite the long time that had passed, they still hadn''t encountered anyrge prey.

    The bait attracted only 1-star and 2-star ingredients, and the limited quantity meant even less when divided among the five people.

    Moreover, against enemies of such strength, "Toxin Stacking" didn''t have enough time to take effect.

    However, as the hunt progressed, Seta and Sadie, the sibling duo, had gradually changed their attitude toward Ma Lu and had be more polite.

    After determining the direction of his style through the work n, Ma Lu chose poisons depending on suitability, focusing on enhancing basic attributes whenever proper blessings were unavable.

    By this point, everyone in the team had received at least a 45% enhancement to their strength, speed, stamina, and reflexes, with the highest enhancement to stamina reaching an astonishing 72%.

    This was keenly felt duringbat.

    Seta was just sharp-tongued and unwilling to tolerate unfair treatment, but he wasn''t foolish. He had already realized the significance of Ma Lu''s miraculous ability, being the ''Meat Pigeon,'' for a hunting group.

    The only regret was that this huntsted only 12 hours. Seta didn''t want to waste the current state that felt almost like divine assistance. If they could stay in the desert for a week or two, they would surely bag some valuable loot.

    However, his suggestion was decisively rejected by Boggy.

    "No, the deputy leader''s psychic power can''t be sustained for such a long duration."

    Seta fell silent but as a psychic power user himself, he naturally knew that the more potent the ability, the greater the consumption would be.

    Although Ma Lu appeared leisurely on the surface, chatting idly with Mai Mai and asionally teasing Little Grey, the Wind-walking Prairie Wolf cub, all of it could just be a painstaking fa?ade he maintained to put the others at ease.

    Otherwise, it was unexinable why the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, despite its formidable strength, hunted only once a week for a mere 12 hours.

    With this realization, Seta developed a sense of respect for Ma Lu.

    Yet, after another two hours, the hunting group had little to show for their effort. Ma Lu nced at the Collection Bag; despite the busyness, it was still less than half full, andpared to the previous two times, itcked any noteworthy loot.

    Just as he considered scouting around, themunication device on the motorcycle suddenly lit up with a yellow light.

    Ma Lu remembered Boggy mentioning that this signaled that someone nearby was using the radio to call.

    So he reached for themunicator and heard an anxious voiceing from inside.

    "Can anyone hear me... I am Hogg, the deputy leader of the Skyline Hunting Group... Repeat, I am Hogg, the deputy leader of the Skyline Hunting Group..."

    "We... have encountered two Lava Giant Lizards and urgently need assistance... Our location is southeast of the C12 Storage Point..."

    The voice abruptly stopped.

    Mai Mai was next to Ma Lu, and she too heard the voice from themunicator, "It''s an area broadcast."

    "Hmm?"

    "If a hunting group runs into trouble, or finds valuable prey that they can''t handle on their own, they will issue a regional broadcast to seek cooperation with other nearby groups.

    Mai Mai thought for a moment, "Skyline Hunting Group... I seem to have heard this name somewhere. I haven''t been a hunter for a while though, so I''m out of the loop on many things. Better ask Boggy."

    Boggy had just caught another Sand-Spray Qiang, holding it in hand, when he saw Mai Mai and Ma Lu approaching from the other direction.

    Her gaze towards Ma Lu was a bit unnatural, but fortunately, her attention was quickly captured by the regional broadcast, and she returned to her usual efficiency.

    "Skyline Hunting Group..." Boggy mused, "They don''t have many people, but they have a good reputation. They''ve cooperated with other groups before, and ording to what was said afterward, both sides were satisfied."

    "I remember now," Mai Mai chimed in, "The welfare institution behind my perfume shop seems to be sponsored in part by the Skyline Hunting Group."

    "Huh, hunting groups sponsor welfare institutions?"

    "Yes, because many orphans in the city lost their hunter parents to idents. If they have no other rtives, they have to live in a welfare institution. Because of this connection, some hunting groups will sponsor the institutions regrly with donations.

    "If the orphans be hunters in the future and join the rted hunting groups, they''ll likely be more loyal and feel a stronger sense of belonging than typical hunters, ah, but these instances are actually not thatmon.

    "The groups don''t force orphans to join; most people donate simply because they want to do good deeds."

    Boggy straightforwardly called over Seta and his sister Sadie to repeat the Skyline Hunting Group''s call for help, pulling out the creased map afterwards.

    "The C12 Storage Point is not far from us, just about a half-hour drive. What do you guys think?"

    "Let''s go!" Seta was the first to blurt out excitedly, "That''s a Lava Giant Lizard! It''s a rare opportunity, and besides, we''re under the blessing of our vice-captain."

    Ma Lu noticed that even Seta''s address for him had changed.

    Indeed, no hunter could resist the temptation of a Meat Pigeon, even if it meant just riding the coattails of the main Captain. It was clear that Seta had be enamored with the feeling of being enhanced.

    "I want to go too."

    Ma Lu cast his vote in favor as well. The ingredients for his stand next week were still not fully collected, and given their luck today, they would probably notnd any decent prey if they stayed.

    "I''ll go with the group, either way is fine with me," shrugged Mai Mai.

    Boggy didn''t ask Sadie, knowing the girl would surely side with her brother.

    Three votes in favor, one abstention.

    Boggy nodded, "Then we''ll head over, but remember to be cautious. We can''t rule out the possibility that someone is masquerading as the Skyline Hunting Group to send out the regional broadcast, actually preparing to ambush any group thates to assist."

    Not long ago, Boggy and Ma Lu had been robbed, and so they were extra vignt about such scenarios. After all, they were in the desert, not in the city, without the protection ofw enforcement, so it was inevitable that some might have crooked ideas.

    They packed up the bait and put Little Grey back into the canvas bag, took a short rest, and the five of them hopped on their motorcycles once more, heading towards the coordinates mentioned in the regional broadcast.

    As they neared their destination, Boggy voluntarily slowed down, especially after seeing figures ahead, she simply brought their motorcycles to a stop.

    Then she climbed the nearby sand dune and started observing the situation ahead through binocrs.

 Chapter 49: 49 Assistance

    ```

    Boggy, through her binocrs, saw eight people, two of whom were already lying down¡ªnot dead, one with an abdominal injury wrapped in bandages, still seeping blood.

    Another had a broken leg and had passed out, but his chest was still heaving.

    Of the remaining six, four were joining forces to deal with a giant lizard over ten meters in size, and two were trying to lure another slightly smaller giant lizard away.

    Based on the situation observed, there wasn''t much discrepancy with the regional broadcast.

    But Boggy still did not lower her guard, and swept the surroundings twice more with her binocrs. Not seeing any suspicious individuals, she then jumped down from the sand dune.

    "Rescue."

    As she uttered these two words, the members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group immediately sprang into action.

    The people in the distance had also noticed themotion here, their faces showing signs of joy, but their eyes also held a touch of wariness.

    The first to speak was a man with a beard, "Which hunting group are you from?"

    As soon as he spoke, Ma Lu identified the voice as the one from the earlier broadcast¡ªit must be Hogg, the deputy leader of the Skyline Hunting Group, he thought.

    "We''re from the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, I''m the leader, Boggy," said Boggy, introducing herself, "We received your regional broadcast and happened to be nearby, so we rushed over."

    "The Twin Sunflower Hunting Group?" Hogg was taken aback.

    "We were just established two weeks ago, you might not have heard of us..."

    "No, I know you," Hogg said, "You''ve been quite famous in town recently, and I''ve known your name for a long time. Your father was the former leader of the Harpists, Li."

    By the end of the conversation, his expression softened considerably, and it seemed he wanted to chat about his rtionship with Li, but urgent calls from his teammates interrupted from behind.

    "Deputy leader!"

    Hogg and another person had been sparring with a Lava Giant Lizard, but within the span of their short conversation, his teammate was almost unable to hold on any longer.

    Hogg hurried towards the other side, running and continuing, "Have you dealt with a Lava Giant Lizard before?"

    "No," replied Boggy, following behind him.

    "Be careful of theva they spit out from their mouths, and the scales on their skin are tough. Ordinary weapons have difficulty causing them harm... and they move quickly, with excellent vision..."

    Boggy had seen all these things in textbooks, but she didn''t interrupt Hogg. Mainly, she wanted the others, especially Ma Lu, to hear him out.

    Mai Mai''s hand was on her backpack, ready to act. Against suchrge creatures with exceptional defensive power, it was time for her telekic ability, Electric Field, toe into y.

    However, she was suddenly held back by another hand.

    Turning around, Mai Mai saw it was Ma Lu.

    "Don''t rush, let''s try my method first."

    Mai Mai''s ability was mighty, but she could only use it once during a hunt and would be paralyzed after its use.

    It wouldn''t be as much of a concern if it were just their own people, but with another hunting group around, it would be best to not expend this strategic weapon so soon.

    Moreover, Ma Lu''s new style had just been perfected, and he was eager to test the power of its finished form.

    Boggy said to Hogg, "Leave this Lava Giant Lizard to us. You can go help the others over there."

    ```

    Hogg was momentarily taken aback again.

    "Is there a problem?" Boggy had already drawn his Mechanical Spear.

    "Ah, I have no objections, but there are only five of you..." Before he could finish his sentence, he saw Seta create a Sand Soil Puppet and charge toward the Lava Giant Lizard.

    However, in front of the robust body of the Lava Giant Lizard, the over two-meter-tall Sand Soil Puppet seemed quite diminutive.

    Still, its charge seeded in drawing the Lava Giant Lizard''s attention, causing thetter to turn its head.

    Seta often relied on this tactic to make the Sand Soil Puppet attract aggro, making it easier for himself and his teammates tounch attacks from behind.

    But this time, he miscalcted.

    The Lava Giant Lizard merely nced at the Sand Soil Puppet before its gaze shifted past therge figure,nding on the members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group.

    Huh?

    Boggy reacted the fastest, instantly creating seven Water Shields, then charging forward with his Mechanical Spear. Yet, he could only slightly hinder the Lava Giant Lizard before being forced to dodge by its tail.

    Right after that, Sadie fired nearly fifty Thorns at the Lava Giant Lizard''s eyes, but the creature simply closed its eyelids and blocked all the Thorns.

    Facing the onrushing Lava Giant Lizard, Sadie also had to roll to the side to avoid it.

    Ma Lu and Mai Mai, the pair of spectators from the group, exchanged nces before both ran towards their respective motorcycles.

    Because Mai Mai was carrying a huge battery pack on her back, she ran slowly, ready to be caught by the Lava Giant Lizard, while Boggy and Seta followed close behind, rushing toward her.

    However, halfway there, Mai Mai stopped in her tracks because she realized that the Lava Giant Lizard was not paying attention to her slow movement. Instead, it pounced towards Ma Lu, who was running the fastest.

    Luckily, Ma Lu always valued his life and hadn''t turned off the motorcycle''s power, so he leaped onto the vehicle with the speed of a 100-meter sprint and then twisted the throttle.

    The motorcycle elerated fiercely, but the Lava Giant Lizard''s speed wasn''t slow either, doggedly following behind, its four gigantic palms scratching rapidly through the sand.

    It soon caught up. Ma Lu quickly drew his Hand Crossbow, not bothering to aim, and fired randomly.

    One of the arrows activated the [Headshot] effect and hit the Lava Giant Lizard''s head, but it bounced off the scales.

    However, that insignificant arrow made the Lava Giant Lizard''s body stiffen.

    Ma Lu had a stroke of enormous luck, as not only did [Headshot] activate, but it also triggered another Blue Blessings.

    [Petrification Arrow: When a team membernds a ranged attack on the target, there is a 15% chance to petrify the target for 0.3 seconds. A petrified target cannot move, but its defensive power is doubled.]

    This rare control-type blessing, although not as powerful as the [Turn in Circles] they had experienced earlier, was appealing because of its low threshold, and Ma Lu had casually taken it when he saw it.

    Although 0.3 seconds of control time was short, being suddenly frozen in ce would, after regaining their senses, typically leave one dazed for a moment, wondering why they couldn''t move.

    Ma Lu took the opportunity to turn the motorcycle around and came back.

    He needed Seta or Boggy to take over the aggro from that thing behind him; as a merciless blessing applicator, he couldn''t perform the duties of a tank warrior.

    Yet, having barely made it back to Seta''s Sand Soil Puppet, thetter was again disregarded by the Lava Giant Lizard.

    With a swipe of its paw, the Lava Giant Lizard knocked the Sand Soil Puppet aside and continued its pursuit of Ma Lu.

 Chapter 50: Chapter 50: Show Off Ones Proficiency

    Hogg was also stunned as he watched from the side; he and his team members had previously exerted a great deal of effort just to separate these two Lava Giant Lizards.

    Moreover, the two Lava Giant Lizards always seemed eager toe back together, but who knew that as soon as Ma Lu made a move, he immediately lured one far away.

    However, afterward, he saw Ma Lu turn back, and Boggy and the others had very grave expressions, promptly charging over.

    But to everyone''s surprise, no matter how much Seta and the others attacked the Lava Giant Lizard, its primary target was always Ma Lu.

    In the end, it was Boggy who thought of something and shouted to Ma Lu, "Quick, throw away the Young me Lizard on you!"

    Reminded by him, Ma Lu hurriedly untied a rope hanging from his waist.

    The other end of the rope was tied to one of the hind legs of a Young me Lizard, which was a trigger mechanism Ma Lu had improvised called [Charge with Hits].

    After throwing the rope away, the Lava Giant Lizard still fixed its gaze on him, and its huge mouth dripping with mucus was almost reaching the back seat of the motorcycle; Ma Lu could smell the sulfur in its breath.

    At the critical moment, Ma Lu had a brainwave, quickly took off a small cage from the motorcycle containing 14 spare parts for the trigger, all of which he had caught when he had nothing else to do.

    Although these were just minor parts, killing them would nevertheless exchange for some White Blessings, and if he was lucky enough to trigger a jackpot upgrade effect, he could also receive the Blue Blessings; therefore, it seemed a bit wasteful to just throw them away.

    However,pared to the huge loss that death would bring, this waste was nothing.

    With a heavy heart, Ma Lu still threw the small cage he held in his hand.

    And as the cage left his hand, the Lava Giant Lizard finally stopped relentlessly pursuing him.

    Ma Lu was finally able to stop the motorcycle and catch his breath briefly.

    Only then did he realize that the two Lava Giant Lizards in front of him did indeed look quite simr to the Young me Lizard, except that they were hundreds of timesrger in size.

    "So there''s some kind of kinship between them?" Ma Lu asked.

    "Lava Giant Lizards evolve from Young me Lizards, but out of ten thousand Young me Lizards, there might not even be one that can grow into a Lava Giant Lizard."

    "Most of the time, people tend to forget the rtion between them," Boggy paused, then added, "Mainly because no one used to like collecting Young me Lizards as much before."

    "Ah, this world is truly wondrous," Ma Lu eximed.

    His previous few sessful returns had made him somewhatcent, thinking that hunting was nothing special.

    But this time, he nearly fell victim to an insignificant detail, and it was only then that he truly understood the omnipresent dangers of this desert.

    Even the seemingly harmless and silly-looking Young me Lizard could inadvertently bring such big trouble; no wonder hunters like Boggy were so cautious.

    Fortunately, after this unexpected incident, the hunt got back on the right track.

    Boggy, Seta, and the Lava Giant Lizard engaged in evasivebat, while Sadie would use Thorns to distract the Lava Giant Lizard when the others found themselves in danger.

    Previously, this Lava Giant Lizard did not spew magma while chasing after Ma Lu, perhaps worried about hurting the Young me Lizards.

    This time, however, it had no such concerns, and thankfully, the members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group had enhanced speed and reflexes,

    Always managing to dodge ahead of time before the scalding magma fell.

    Hogg, while besieging the Lava Giant Lizard with his team members, was also keeping an eye on the battle on the other side.

    The performance of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group greatly exceeded his expectations, it was said to be five people, but in fact, Mai Mai and Ma Lu hadn''t even made a move yet; there were actually only three people fighting.

    Yet just these three were able to withstand the attacks of the Lava Giant Lizard, and their actions were very nimble; though their coordination was still a little raw, relying on their strong personal abilities, they could always smoothly resolve crises when they urred.

    However, Hogg watched for a while but couldn''t figure out what Boggy was up to.

    Though they were skilled, their weapons were just ordinary, hardly able to hurt the thick-skinned Lava Giant Lizard. They''d strike swiftly and then retreat just as fast, it felt like a group of people were merely tickling the Lava Giant Lizard.

    Yet, if they continued at this stalemate, defeat was almost inevitable.

    Because humans can hardlypete with wild beasts in physical strength, and the Lava Giant Lizard could take countless hits, but for the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, even a minor mistake could likely lead to annihtion.

    While Hogg was thinking this, he suddenly saw Boggy and the others intensify their offense, and their eyes were filled with fervor.

    Because they heard Ma Lu shouting.

    "97, just one more hit."

    With the effect of "Harmless Treatment," a single attack couldy on at least fouryers of poison, so just one more hit was needed to trigger a massive one-time damage from "Toxin Stacking."

    Seta maneuvered the Sand Soil Puppet to raise its fist and rush forward, but someone was faster than him.

    Boggy, who actedter, jumped over the Sand Soil Puppet and thrust his Mechanical Spear towards the Lava Giant Lizard''s tail.

    However, the one whonded that crucial blow was an inconspicuous Thorns.

    ¡ª99!

    Ma Lu watched as the dark-green number above the Lava Giant Lizard''s head flickered before finally settling on 99.

    The next moment, the Lava Giant Lizard, which had been lively before, suddenly began to shake violently, and then blood started to flow from its eyes and ears. It mustered itsst bit of strength to bite its tail and curl up into a ball.

    Then it moved no more.

    However, wary of its terrifying strength and the scorchingva in its mouth, everyone did not approach immediately.

    Not until they heard Ma Lu say, "It''s all right, it''s dead."

    Then Seta took a step forward, but after a couple of steps, he asked again, "Is it really dead?"

    "It''s really dead," Ma Lu was certain.

    Because in front of him, the blessing options had appeared, two gold and one purple.

    It must be said that the Lava Giant Lizard, being a 4-star ingredient, had a really impressive drop rate.

    Although it had only been 10 hours since they met, Seta''s initial distrust of Ma Lu had turned intoplete admiration.

    Especially this time, hunting the Lava Giant Lizard had been unbelievably smooth under Ma Lu''smand.

    Seta felt as if he were dreaming; it was the first time he realized hunting could be so simple.

    After a pause, he couldn''t wait to rush towards the prey in front of him.

    At this time though, Ma Lu was pondering a profound question ¨C could the Lava Giant Lizard, killed by stacking poison, still be edible?

    Mainly because given itsst state, it was clearly heavily poisoned.

    But the poison in the Meat Pigeon shouldn''t be real poison, right?... Maybe he should still cut off a piece of meat and try feeding it to Little Grey.

    Ma Lu''s gaze shifted to the Wind-walking Prairie Wolf cub, which was still oblivious to being watched, circling around Ma Lu because it had been fed a few Young me Lizards before when Ma Lu used them as bait.

    It wanted to eat more.

 Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Super Imitation Show

    There''s no rush to test for poison; Ma Lu decided to choose his blessing first.

    This time there were two golden blessings, but unfortunately, he could only choose one.

    Ma Lu first looked at the first blessing.

    [Bone-Adhering Poison: Every attack by team members doubles the ongoing damage caused by the poison effect and has a 50% chance of re-poisoning the target after the duration ends]

    This golden blessing was still rted to poison and its effects were very powerful; theoretically, as long as he was lucky enough, a single poisoning could continuously extend its effect, with the ongoing damage doubled.

    Unfortunately, Ma Lu couldn''t use it; the Purple Blessing [Harmless Treatment] had sacrificed all ongoing poison damage for a fourfold increase in Toxin Stacking speed.

    As a result, the damage enhancement of [Bone-Adhering Poison] was rendered useless, with only the 50% re-poisoning chance having some limited effect.

    Simply put, even though both were rted to poison, they didn''t necessarily belong to the same school.

    The system Ma Lu was currently building revolved around the Purple Blessing [Toxin Stacking] as the core, with other blessings serving to trigger the [Toxin Stacking] effect faster, resulting in an explosive one-time high damage impact.

    But [Bone-Adhering Poison] focused on enhancing the ongoing poison effect damage.

    The two weren''t verypatible.

    Therefore, Ma Lu shifted his attention to the second golden blessing.

    [Super Mimicry Show: Designate a target to mimic their abilities with automatic triggering conditions, mimicry duration 30 seconds, cooldown time 2 hours]

    This blessing seemed interesting.

    With it, Ma Lu could mimic Seta''s Sand Soil Puppet for a bit of fun, or Sadie''s Thorns, and then there was Boggy... well, maybe not Boggy.

    However, it seemed most worthwhile to mimic Mai Mai''s Electric Field.

    Ma Lu had witnessed the power of the Electric Field; it was a terrifying ability certified by Captain Li.

    And with a 2-hour refresh, wouldn''t that mean Ma Lu could unleash an Electric Field every two hours?

    The more he thought about it, the more Ma Lu realized how precious this blessing was.

    Unfortunately, the hunt was nearing its end, and he reckoned he''d probably only get to enjoy this thing once.

    Still, Ma Lu didn''t hesitate to choose [Super Imitation Show].

    Hogg was already dumbfounded; his group of six was struggling against a Lava Giant Lizard, while on the other side, Boggy''s trio had already easily emerged victorious.

    And it had been less than ten minutes since the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group arrived here. What''s worse, the death of that Lava Giant Lizard caused the one they were fighting to go berserk.

    It opened its mouth and began furiously spewingva.

    The members of the Skyline Hunting Group dodged in disarray, forcing Hogg to speak up again, addressing Boggy.

    "Can you help us out again?"

    Hogg looked somewhat embarrassed, perhaps feeling that his request was a bit much. The Twin Sunflower Hunting Group had already killed one Lava Giant Lizard for them, alleviating a lot of pressure, yet they still couldn''t take down the remaining one.

    Seeing Boggy''s hesitation, Hogg hurriedly added, "The Lava Giant Lizard was killed by you, and ording to the Hunter''s Convention, it should belong to you. If you are willing to take action again, you can have half of this one too."

    Upon hearing this, Seta''s eyes widened; the Lava Giant Lizard was coveted by gourmets for its unique vor due to its fondness for bathing inva.

    Moreover, with its rarity and the difficulty of hunting, it was worth a fortune.

    Seta hadn''t expected Hogg to be so generous, offering them one and a half lizards like that, knowing that they had discovered both Lava Giant Lizards first.

    But mere discovery was useless, the Skyline Hunting Group clearlycked the strength to hunt these two Lava Giant Lizards, and two of their members had been severely injured as a result. If it hadn''t been for Boggy and others arriving in time, who knows how many of them could have made it back to the Giant Curtain alive.

    It seemed that Hogg truly had no way to deal with the Lava Giant Lizards.

    Had they been in good condition before, they might have been able to defeat the foes before them, but the members of the Skyline Hunting Group had been battling the two Lava Giant Lizards for too long. They each looked exhausted, and their psychic power was nearly depleted.

    If the battle dragged on, lives might be lost, so Hogg had no choice but to seek assistance from the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group again.

    Seta had been waiting for Boggy''smand. Seeing him nod, Seta immediately let out a cheer and began to control his Sand Soil Puppet to join the attack on the other Lava Giant Lizard.

    His sister, Sadie, followed closely behind, and Boggy, as the main poisoner, quickly went along as well.

    Ma Lu and Mai Mai, acting like a touring group, followed leisurely behind them.

    Ma Lu was nning to use [Super Mimicry Show] to tease an Electric Field out of Mai Mai when he suddenly noticed Mai Mai had stopped in her tracks.

    "Something''s not right!"

    "What''s wrong?"

    "The boots they''re wearing seem to be insting boots." Mai Mai had only realized upon getting closer.

    While they were talking, a member of the Skyline Hunting Group stumbled while dodgingva, and as he was right beside Seta, Seta instinctively reached out to help him.

    The next moment, the man pulled out a dagger hidden in his sleeve. Seta''s gaze was still fixed on theva in the sky,pletely oblivious to the idea that the man he had just saved would turn around and attack him.

    Therefore, not even his enhanced speed and reflexes were of any use.

    It was only when a sharp pain pierced his chest that Seta''s eyes went from excitement to bewilderment.

    "Brother!"

    Seta heard a scream, and in the corner of his eye, he glimpsed his sister''s face, distorted by terror. He moved his throat, as if trying to say something.

    But, in the next moment, the assant had already pulled the dagger out of his heart.

    Darkness fell before Seta''s eyes, and he copsed to the ground, powerless.

    "Move in!" Hoggmanded in a low voice, nowhere near as flustered and embarrassed as before, "Kill them all!"

    Except for the two who were still restraining the Lava Lizard, the rest turned around in unison.

    They quickly put on insted gloves, and without a doubt, they were also wearing insted clothing underneath their hunting clothes.

    In that instant, Boggy, Mai Mai, and Ma Lu all realized that these people were after them.

    They obviously had a thorough understanding of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group''s personnelposition, knowing that Mai Mai''s Electric Field was formidable, hence they had prepared countermeasures in advance.

    Boggy wanted to create some distance between them and their opponents, but Sadie had already madly dashed towards the spot where her brother had fallen, releasing almost all of her Thorns in one breath.

    But their opponents were also prepared. As soon as Sadie lifted her hand, a girl with a melon-seed-shaped face immediately released her telekic power.

    Controlling fourrge steel shields, she blocked the iing Thorns.

    They had clearly done their homework on the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, understanding each member''s characteristics and attack methods.

    A smug look appeared on the face of the girl with the melon-seed-shaped face, but her smugness didn''tst long.

    She might have easily caught Sadie''s telekic attack, but Sadie also had the enhanced speed, strength, and reflexes provided by Meat Pigeon.

    Sadie sprinted with all her might, reaching the killer in no time at all.

 Chapter 52: Chapter 52 Revenge

    The attacker, seeing Sadie pounce, immediately swung the dagger in his hand.

    However, Sadie didn''t dodge at all. Instead, she raised her arm again, and even though she was extremely angry a moment ago, she still had three thorns left.

    Because her brother had warned her never to shoot all her thorns at once during a hunt.

    Thinking of her brother, Sadie''s eyes reddened again, and the murderous intent in her eyes grew even stronger.

    On the other hand, the attacker shrank back. He didn''t want to trade his life for Sadie''s, especially when he and his teammates had nearly gained control of the situation.

    So, he put away his dagger and rolled on the spot.

    Sadie shot out another thorn, which likely triggered the [Headshot] effect, flying straight toward the attacker''s head.

    But at thest moment, it was blocked by a steel shield.

    Sadie was furious, and raised her hand again, but she was now surrounded by several steel shields.

    "You''re unlucky to have met me today," the girl with the melon seed-shaped face said with a lightugh.

    Hogg took Boggy very seriously and went to confront her himself, leaving the other two to charge at Ma Lu and Mai Mai.

    The situation took a sudden turn for the worse.

    Mai Mai''s expression was grave as she took off the backpack she had on her back.

    However, the preparation on the other side was thorough, and she didn''t know if her electric field could prate the thick insting suits they wore.

    But by now she had no way out.

    The two enemies approached quickly, one swinging a curved de in his hand, while the other gripped a dagger against his chest.

    Mai Mai''s hand was also resting on the stack of thick, high-density batteries.

    But it was Ma Lu who acted first.

    He raised the hand crossbow in his hand, aimed at the person in front, and resolutely pulled the trigger.

    However, the crossbow bolt flew past the man''s arm.

    He missed!

    The hearts of the two on the opposite side sank a little at this, as they held information on every member of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, including Seta and Sadie who had just joined today.

    The only data missing was on Ma Lu; they only knew he was the deputy leader of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, and facing him, they inevitably felt uncertain.

    But ording to the arrow just now, Ma Lu''s archery seemed ratherckluster, and considering he and Mai Mai hadn''t taken any action during the previous hunt of the Lava Giant Lizard, merely standing by andmanding, it was likely they weren''t adept atbat.

    Ma Lu also wasn''t too satisfied, as that arrow had failed to trigger the [Headshot] effect.

    Indeed, banking on luck like that couldn''t always seed.

    Fortunately, he hadn''t pinned all his hopes on that one arrow, and after gauging the distance between them, he opened his mouth.

    The two from Skyline Hunting Group thought Ma Lu was about to cry out for help from Boggy, so they quickened their pace, about to pounce on Ma Lu and Mai Mai.

    So close, Ma Lu wouldn''t have time to load another bolt into the hand crossbow, and a thrill of excitement shed in their eyes.

    But in the next moment, they saw a faint red glow emanate from Ma Lu''s throat.

    It was a familiar sight, and one of them realized something, his expression drastically changing, "Watch out!"

    Before he could finish speaking, scorching hot moltenva burst forth from Ma Lu''s mouth!

    The two wanted to dodge, but it was toote; they were too close, and in the blink of an eye, they were engulfed by the surgingva, burning brightly like two torches.

    Mai Mai stood rooted to the spot, feeling as if her brain had crashed.

    Meanwhile, Ma Lu was still spewingva while running towards Hogg, resembling a fire truck in action.

    Hogg was also dumbstruck.

    What the hell is this thing?!

    A human? Or some kind of mutant Lava Giant Lizard?

    How can a mouth that''s 36 degrees spit outva at 1000 degrees?! Doesn''t his mouth get burnt?

    To tell the truth, Ma Lu was also a bit concerned about this issue, but fortunately, after spitting for so long, he only felt a slight itching in his throat, and his body didn''t show any abnormalities.

    [Super Imitation Show: Designate a target, mimic its abilities, and automatically possess the necessary conditions to activate them,sting for 30 seconds with a cooldown time of 2 hours.]

    After receiving this Golden Blessing, Ma Lu actually wanted to fleece Mai Mai, but those people were clearly prepared for the Electric Field.

    Not just the Electric Field, except for him, everyone from the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group was within the calctions of their opponents, with countermeasures in ce, and Ma Lu was not familiar with Hogg and his group''s Psychic Power abilities.

    On the contrary, because he had just hunted a Lava Giant Lizard, Ma Lu had seen it spewva several times.

    It seemed rather simple.

    So he tried designating the remaining Lava Giant Lizard, and subsequently, a [Death Spray] skill appeared in the character bar.

    The duration was a bit short; Ma Lu hadn''t reached Hogg''s front when the 30 seconds were up, but luckily, Ma Lu kept loading his hand crossbow while running.

    One arrow didn''t hit!

    The second arrow, still a miss!

    Ma Lu didn''t believe in bad luck, loaded another arrow, raised his hand, and shot, finally triggering a [Headshot].

    The crossbow bolt curved in mid-air, heading straight for Hogg.

    Ma Lu ran with tears in his eyes, finally feeling lucky!

    But Hogg just stood there without moving, and suddenly, several tornadoes appeared in front of him. As soon as Ma Lu''s crossbow bolt flew in, it vanished without a trace, swept away to who knows where.

    However, Hogg felt a sharp pain in his back, and Boggy''s icy voice rang in his ears, "Did you forget something?"

    It was then that Hogg remembered that he was still fighting someone; it was just that most of his attention had been drawn away by Ma Lu.

    Being distracted in battle is a taboo, especially when your opponent is much faster than you.

    Hogg looked down and saw the spearhead protruding from his chest, thinking to himself that this deal had gone terribly wrong.

    In the blink of an eye, three members of the Skyline Hunting Group were down, including the deputy leader, and the rest were panicked.

    The girl with the melon seed face still thought about taking down Sadie to coerce Boggy and the others, but before she could seed, her right calf was ensnared by something.

    The girl with the melon seed face turned her head and saw a huge hand made of sand holding her tightly, and at the other end of the hand was a tall giant puppet.

    Her pupils dted drastically as she blurted out, "How is this possible?!"

    Seta, who should have been dead by then, had somehow sat up from the ground and was staring at her intently, speaking deliberately.

    "Are you bullying my sister?!"

    The girl with the melon seed face wasn''t old, but she had already killed many people. It was the first time she had witnessed such a bizarre scene, and she was so frightened that her soul nearly left her body, losing all will to fight and only thinking of running away.

    But she had forgotten that she was caught by the Sand Soil Puppet, which picked her up and then mmed her to the ground repeatedly, as if an enraged child was throwing a toy around.

    In no time at all, the girl with the melon seed face was smashed beyond recognition.

    In the end, only two people left restraining the Lava Giant Lizard remained; they had wanted to flee for a long time but could not shake off the giant creature behind them. Sadie easily knocked them down with Thorns.

    One was unlucky and was hit directly in the head, dying instantly, while the other was shot through the abdomen.

 Chapter 53: Chapter 53 Reborn from Death

    After dealing with the attackers, Boggy, Seta, and Sadie used the old method of stacking poison and triggering damage to kill off the remaining Lava Giant Lizard.

    As a result, they essentially hunted two Lava Giant Lizards in one go, making a bountiful harvest.

    However, at the moment, everyone''s focus was no longer on the gains of this hunt.

    Sadie rushed to Seta''s side the first chance she got, anxiously asking, "Bro, how are you doing?!"

    She had seen with her own eyes as Seta was stabbed through the heart, his blood nearly soaking his Hunting Clothes.

    The hole in his Hunting Clothes was still there, yet when her fingers grazed the skin underneath, she couldn''t find any wound.

    Seta was also somewhat perplexed, scratching his head, as no one knew better than him how fatal that stab had been.

    At that moment, Seta thought he was a goner, and then everything went ck before his eyes.

    When he opened his eyes again, he saw a melon-seed-faced girl picking on his sister, which set him aze with rage and prompted him immediately to create a Sand Soil Puppet and join the battle.

    He didn''t even have the chance to consider the fact of his resurrection until this moment when his tense spirit rxed a bit, and he realized how incredible this whole thing was.

    And speaking of incredible, an image immediately shed into Seta''s mind.

    "Vice Captain, it was you who saved me!"

    "No, you were just lucky enough. I can''t guarantee I could save you again if it happened another time," Ma Lu spoke frankly, as he didn''t expect the Purple Blessing [Resurrected from Death] that he had previously acquired to actuallye into y.

    Indeed, Seta''s luck was good, hitting the 33% chance. In contrast, there were people who shot four arrows before triggering a [Headshot], which was incredibly unlucky.

    "It really was you who saved me!"

    Seta now hadplete faith in Ma Lu, as he had always thought he was brave enough and did not fear death.

    But when that moment truly came, he realized how much he feared it¡ªworried that after his death, his father couldn''t afford medicine, and scared that someone would bully his sister.

    Thankfully, no, it was Ma Lu who gave him another chance at life.

    Seta took off a beast tooth ne he was wearing around his neck, presented it to Ma Lu with sincerity, "I don''t have much money, so I can only express my gratitude with this for now. Of course, I''ll always remember the debt of this second life!"

    "Ah? No need, no need," Ma Lu waved his hand dismissively.

    But Seta insisted on giving Ma Lu the beast tooth ne, "This was left by my grandfather to my father, who then passed it to me. It''s said to be connected to the whereabouts of a Secret Treasure."

    Upon hearing this, Ma Lu instinctively looked to his side, but his personal interpreter was no longer there.

    Mai Mai was currently interrogating a survivor not far from them.

    Fortunately, Boggy was also aware of this matter, "It is said that this desert hides not only various beasts but also Secret Treasures. If you have the key and get close to the Secret Treasure, the key will emit a reaction. This Earth Dragon Tooth should be one of the keys."

    "What''s inside the Secret Treasure?"

    "I don''t know."

    "Huh?"

    "I told you it''s a legend," Boggy said, "No one has obtained the Secret Treasure from Giant Curtain for at least thirty years."

    "So you mean someone got it thirty years ago?"

    "Some say that the Captain of the Golden Sword of the first Hunting Group in Giant Curtain had a piece of Secret Treasure. It was with this Secret Treasure that he established Golden Sword, but he never admitted it himself."

    "Okay then."

    Due to Seta''s firm attitude, Ma Lu eventually epted the ne, but he didn''t pay it much mind.

    ording to Boggy, the existence of the secret treasure was still under dispute, and, unless the treasure was edible, even if he found it, he couldn''t take it back.

    Mai Mai finally finished interrogating those people and walked back with a grave expression.

    Ma Lu pointed at the tip of her nose, "Here."

    Mai Mai casually wiped away the bloodstain with her hand and said, "These guys indeed had premeditated ns."

    "We didn''t have any conflicts with the Skyline Hunting Group before, did we?" Boggy asked.

    "They''re not from the Skyline Hunting Group," Mai Mai shook her head. "They just pretended to be. Those two injured guys are not their people either; they were kidnapped on the way, their legs were broken, and their bellies were stabbed to force them to act in their y, lowering our guard."

    "Who exactly are they?"

    "ck Horn," Mai Mai spat out the two words.

    The name surprised Boggy a little.

    "But it''s not the ck Horn Hunting Group that''s after us," Mai Mai continued. "ck Horn has a bad reputation, and there have always been rumors that the hunters in that group, apart from hunting outsides, also engage in shady deals off the record."

    "Someone hired the ck Horn Hunting Group to take us out," Boggy said. "Who?"

    "The person I interrogated didn''t know. ck Horn has many people; he said that typically, such deals are handled by Vice Captain Jinjian. They just take the money and do the job, without asking too many questions, to avoid trouble."

    Boggy frowned upon hearing this.

    The Twin Sunflower Hunting Group was just a newly established, small group; it didn''t make sense for them to be targeted. Pondering over recent events, Boggy could only think of the Treasure Hunting Group as the ones they had crossed paths with.

    However, hiring ck Horn would cost arge amount of money, and the Treasure Hunting Group had just been beaten by them, losing their equipment and motorcycles, in addition to being banned from hunting for 3 years by the guild, so they should be short on funds.

    Could they have borrowed money to seek revenge?

    While Boggy was still contemting, Ma Lu already spoke up, "Why not just ask Jinjian directly?"

    "How could Jinjian possibly tell us the truth?"

    "Isn''t Mai Mai very skilled at interrogation?"

    "Ah, you n to capture Jinjian? But wouldn''t that be dering war on ck Horn? And then there''s thew enforcement..." Mai Mai pretended to be worried, but the eager look in her eyes betrayed her true thoughts.

    "As long as it''s done cleanly and no one knows, it''ll be fine. ck Horn has always been involved in dirty business, they must have quite a few enemies," Ma Lu said.

    Having visited this realm several times, Ma Lu had interacted with many people and had gradually gotten a grasp of some local rules.

    inly speaking,w enforcement could only take care of matters within the city. Out in this desert, it really came down to who had the stronger fist.

    He looked at Boggy again and asked a critical question, "In your opinion, will ck Horn just quiet down after this setback, or will theye after us again?"

    Boggy was ultimately persuaded by this statement. She knew the way ck Horn operated: once they took the money, they never spit it back out.

    If they failed once, they would just look for another opportunity.

    Being passive would only be more dangerous, better to take the initiative.

    "What do you n to do?"

    "Does Jinjian often leave the city?" Ma Lu asked further.

    Boggy nodded, "After all, ck Horn is a hunting group, even if they take on shady jobs on the side, on the surface they are no different from other groups."

    "Then keep an eye on his movements. If he leaves the city before Ie back, prepare some fresh ingredients for me, and let''s give him a surprise," Ma Lu said leisurely.

 Chapter 54 Sink

    ```

    Bringing back a 4-star ingredient was indeed rare, yet it left Ma Lu entangled, dying his decision for today''s menu. Experience magic at m v le mpyr

    Old Wang wasn''t in a hurry, just waiting in the kitchen.

    Ma Lu looked at a few recipes in front of him, among which "Giant Lizard Stew Rice" had a Deliciousness Index of up to ¡ï¡ï¡ï.

    It was the highest star level among the dishes which met the cooking conditions currently avable.

    ording to Ma Lu''s pricing standards, "Giant Lizard Stew Rice" had to sell for at least 40, and then there were some ingredients that were not cheap either, so to ensure profits, it would be best to go for 50.

    But such a price point was clearly no longer suitable for sale around the university, as he had already started to feel the pressure when he sold the sand bass burgers for 35st time, and he didn''t know how much the sales volume would decrease if he marked up Giant Lizard Stew Rice above 50+.

    This was also why Ma Lu was nning to open a shop, but even if he started preparations now, being up and running within a month would already be considered fast.

    So, Ma Lu and Old Wang would have to keep setting up their stall for at least one more month.

    Although selling at the regr price was not out of the question¡ªas the main ingredient didn''t cost anything, The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall''s profit margin was already at the pinnacle among peers.

    Ma Lu wouldn''t earn any less than before, but as an operator with principles and a baseline, he couldn''t just backstab his own customers.

    If with the same or even less money they could eat a meal that was more delicious than before, wouldn''t the people who had previously supported him turn into the ones who had been taken advantage of?

    No matter what, he couldn''t let his loyal customers feel disheartened!

    However, the path to raising prices had indeede to an end, and Ma Lu''s gaze shifted to another recipe.

    "Giant Lizard Grilled Sausage" had a Deliciousness Index of ¡ï¡ï¡î

    Ma Lu pointed to this dish and asked Old Wang, "How big is this grilled sausage? What''s the meat content?"

    "About 1 jin, with a meat content of around 90%."

    "That big, can it be made smaller?"

    Old Wang shook his head, "The size will also affect the taste when grilled."

    "No matter, we can cut it up for sale once it''s grilled."

    Ma Lu had already realized that he had indeed fallen into a bit of a thinking trap before; university students generally didn''t have much spending power, and since raising the price didn''t work, why not go in the opposite direction and reduce the portion size?

    Selling smaller portions, he could even lower the prices, and now that his Collection Bag had been upgraded to Level 3, he could bring back even more ingredients.

    Ma Lu took out his phone and did some calctions¡ªhe had brought back 600 jin of Lava Giant Lizard Meat this time.

    If the sausages were calcted at 50g each, one would need 45g of Lava Giant Lizard Meat, enough to make 6666 sausages. Selling them at 16 per sausage, if he sold out, he would make 106,656.

    That would be an increase of about 32.4%pared to the sand bass burgers, a result with which Ma Lu was satisfied.

    Indeed, it was best to focus on the base market. However, this meant that the requirement for sales volume was now higher; he would have to sell over a thousand sausages every day.

    Hmm, no big deal, Aerospace University does have a whopping 40,000 faculty and students.

    Following the old routine, Ma Lu went to the agricultural market first to buy the rest of the ingredients, handed them all to Old Wang, and then went back to his room to catch up on some sleep.

    When he woke up, he found that the fan group was bustling with activity. Everybody had almost figured out the The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall''s pattern of updating their menu, knowing that Ma Lu would change the menu at most once a week.

    Now, looking at the time, it was about due, so everyone was specting about what the new product for the uing week would be as well as guessing its price.

    Regarding the first question, guesses ranged from pizza to pork knuckle rice, to marinatedrge intestines¡ªa veritable cacophony.

    However, on the second question, there was a surprising consensus¡ªeveryone felt that the new product would continue to see a price increase.

    ¡ª¡ªThe greedy boss just knows how to make a quick buck, getting pricier with each sale!

    Once the first brave soul stood out to boldly indict, immediately, they received a lot of echoes.

    ¡ª¡ªExactly, if it gets pricier I genuinely won''t be able to afford it!

    ¡ª¡ªRight, prices can''t go up anymore, we are still students, without jobs, where would the moneye from?

    ¡ª¡ªDon''t worry, you won''t have money after you start working either; look at your senior¡ªhe''s out here setting up his own stall.

    ```

    ¡ª¡ª"And to think you''re a senior," not even a school alumni discount. That''s really disheartening.

    In the midst of a chorus of indignant denunciations, only Hou Yihan was meekly defending Ma Lu.

    ¡ª¡ªIt''s not like that, the boss uses high-quality ingredients, and the cost is definitely high, so he''s actually not making much.

    However, her voice was so faint that hardly anyone paid attention.

    But the people in the group who were vocally criticizing knew that The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall had good ingredients and tasted great; the high prices were justified.

    So, in fact, most were just using this method to put pressure on Ma Lu, because if it were expensive and not tasty, everyone would simply not buy it, right?

    This was a fighting tactic that our country''s youth had honed through countless bloody battles with mobile game developers.

    But Ma Lu also yed mobile games and saw right through their scheme at first nce.

    So, he posted a message too.

    ¡ª¡ª16

    As soon as Ma Lu showed up, the group got even livelier.

    ¡ª¡ªAh, senior''s here.

    ¡ª¡ªSenior, someone was just badmouthing you. I''ve written down their IDs for you. Just let me try the new product for free, and I''ll give them to you.

    Others asked,

    ¡ª¡ªWhat''s 16? Do we have to be at least 16 years old to eat this new product? Is it that thrilling?

    ¡ª¡ªNo, 16 is the price of the new product.

    Ma Lu continued typing.

    At that, several chat groups erupted.

    ¡ª¡ªF**k, seriously?! Feels even more thrilling!!!

    ¡ª¡ªSo cheap! I''m dying, a new product without a price hike and even a price drop? Has senior been possessed?

    ¡ª¡ªCan someone pinch me? Am I dreaming? This... this must be a historical low, right?

    ¡ª¡ªYes, the fried meat pancakes used to be 18.

    ¡ª¡ªWow, senior, are you doing charity work? The next time they vote for Aerospace University''s Top 10 Inspirational Figures, I''ll definitely cast a vote for you.

    ¡ª¡ªHuh, does our school even have such an event? I didn''t know about it.

    ......

    Messages were furiously flooding the screen, cheers all around; those who had been hardest on Ma Lu were swiftly retracting their previous messages.

    The atmosphere in the group was livelier than a festival, until 3 minutester someone remembered to ask a key question.

    ¡ª¡ªBy the way, senior, what''s this week''s new product?

    ¡ª¡ªVolcanic Grilled Sausage.

    As Ma Lu sent out these four characters, the WeChat group suddenly quieted down.

    Then someone slowly typed out a question mark.

    More and more people lined up neatly, following the first and adding their own question marks.

    ¡ª¡ªThose who want to try it, see you at the usual ce in half an hour.

    After sending this message to the group, Ma Lu put his phone back in his pocket and went to help Old Wang carry the ingredients to the tricycle; by the time the two men arrived at the West Gate, a sizable crowd had already gathered.

    Ma Lu also greeted Squid Brother, parked the tricycle with practiced ease, and set up the stall in less than half a minute.

    Old Wang, as always, remained silent. He took out the same griddle he had used to fry burger patties before, waited for it to heat up, greased it with cooking oil, and then took out four stuffed sausages.

 Chapter 55 Volcano Grilled Sausage

    Street foodes in all varieties, and debating the tastiest would probably lead to an endless three-day argument.

    But when ites to which one you see the most, there is no suspense.

    ¡ª¡ªGrilled sausages.

    At any time, in any ce, as long as there are street vendors, grilled sausages are always present, and sometimes several stalls selling them can be found in one area.

    The reason for this is partly that out of all street foods, sausages are probably the easiest to make.

    You don''t even need any cooking experience; just a gas cartridge stove, a grilling pan, a table, or even an electric scooter to set up shop.

    Starch sausages, used as the main ingredient, can be directly purchased online with a cost of just 40 to 50 cents each, and since they''re easy to store and don''t go bad, they are favored by stall-starting beginners.

    Some people work during the day and sell grilled sausages at night to make some pocket money to help with household expenses.

    For customers, grilled sausages are cheap, high in oil, salt, and starch, which also makes them more satisfying to eat.

    What''s more, the price of grilled sausages had basically standardized across the country at two to three yuan each.

    However, The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall had brazenly broken this iron rule, inting sausage prices and deeply wounding the hearts of sausage enthusiasts everywhere.

    So, the sausage aficionados flooded the streets, resolved to unite, and teach this deceitful vendor a lesson, evening up with their own slogan.

    ¡ª¡ªIf you don''t buy, and I don''t buy, the price will drop by 5 tomorrow!

    "This time, we must stand together! Show the spirit of our Aerospace University!" cried a righteous volunteer.

    Ma Lu noticed that although there were many people this time, the atmosphere seemed somewhat subdued and didn''t swarm the stall immediately like in previous asions.

    But Ma Lu wasn''t worried, for he had an ace up his sleeve.

    As Old Wang pulled out the ingredients from the insted box, the thick and plump sausages instantly captured everyone''s attention.

    Looking at them, 16 yuan each didn''t seem so expensive after all.

    Some were already itching to reach for their phones and scan the QR code to pay.

    Fortunately, theirpanions quickly held them back, and someone pointed to the A4 paper in front of the stall, reminding these noble warriors, "Look at what it says there!"

    The warriors focused their gaze and saw the print of "50g" on the paper and couldn''t help but exim how close they were to falling for the merchant''s trap again!

    Just knew it, how could that merchant be so kind-hearted to sell such a big sausage for only 16.

    Ma Lu actually hadn''t thought about ying clever on this issue, otherwise, he wouldn''t have clearly marked the portion sizes and even bolded the print.

    But you can''t overestimate the righteousness of the noble warriors, who could ignore the ck on white right before their eyes.

    By this time, Old Wang had already started frying the sausages on his own.

    When they first heard about volcanic grilled sausages, most people thought of those TikTok famous sausages made with ck pebbles imitating volcanic rocksid out on the grilling te.

    But The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall obviously didn''t follow that trend.

    Old Wang was just using a regr iron skillet to fry them, but those sausages looked a bit different.

    It wasn''t just the size that stood out, but also their color.

    Unlike usual grilled sausages, this one had a deeper red tone and staring at it for too long almost gave the illusion that what was wrapped under the casing wasn''t meat, but zing hotva.

    Additionally, during the grilling process, these sausages would hiss, reminiscent of the prelude to a volcanic eruption, causing a crowd to widen their eyes in amazement.

    Under the effects of the Merad reaction, the sausages quickly developed a brown char on the outside, with fat oozing from within.

    Old Wang, however, was not in a hurry, asionally using tongs to turn them, ensuring each side was grilled evenly.

    Then, in the final moments of cooking, he took out a blowtorch and gave a shake over one end of the grilled sausage.

    The next moment, a miracle urred, as the sausage burst into mes like a volcano, to the crowd''s astonishment.

    This performance, akin to an acrobatic act, left everyone speechless.

    Afterward, Old Wang used the blowtorch to ignite the remaining three sausages, proving that the spectacle was not an ident.

    Only then did the onlookers snap out of their daze, excitedly pulling out their phones, opening the video function, eager to capture this magical scene.

    Someone urged, "Quick, do it again! Perform that... that fire-blowing thing again!"

    However, Ma Lu was unruffled, pointing at the sausages left on the grill, "These haven''t been sold yet; I can''t make any new ones."

    Before he had finished speaking, impulsive buyers had already rushed up to pay, "Quick, I''ll take one!"

    "Me too! And I want to see the sausage spit fire!!!"

    As more and more people began to waver, the righteous ones also grew anxious, "My lord, you''re mistaken to be deceived by such trickery; he''s selling each sausage for 16!"

    "But his sausage can spit fire!"

    "If we lose this battle, the new products'' prices will only get more outrageous! Soon we''ll all be like fish on the chopping board, at the mercy of others!"

    "But his sausage can spit fire!"

    "We just need to hold out for a few more days, then the situation of attack and defense can be reversed!"

    "But his sausage can spit fire! Get your hands off me; I still want to see the sausage spit fire!"

    Find adventures at m v lem|p-yr

    As more and more people rushed to buy the volcanic grilled sausages, the righteous ones knew the tide had turned and couldn''t help but feel disheartened, filled with a sense of emptiness, wishing only to cover their faces and leave.

    But after a few steps, they stopped; mainly because they wanted to watch the fire-spitting sausage one more time. They couldn''t help it, it was such a rare sight.

    The Giant Lizard Grilled Sausage, like the Sandworm Hamburgers, was also a ¡ï¡ï¡î delicacy, yet it was clearly superior in visual impact.

    Old Wang ingeniously applied the Chinese culinary technique of wok-heating to the grilling of sausages, deliberately leaving an air cavity inside the sausage when stuffing them. As the sausage heated up, the juices flowed into the cavity.

    As the heat continued, the juices mixed with fat turned into an oily mist, which, upon contact with the blowtorch''s me, ignited, creating the miraculous fire-spitting phenomenon in the sausages.

    Ma Lu felt that the creator of this dish must be a genius for using this method to imitate the Lava Giant Lizard''s attack effect.

    The first time he saw it, he too was blown away by the spectacle.

    It turned out a dish could not only conquer the noses and ptes of the diners but also deliver immense satisfaction to the eyes.

    This was also why Ma Lu was so confident in the Giant Lizard Grilled Sausage; aside from its excellent taste, it was also a visual feast!

    It didn''t take long for word to spread throughout Aerospace University about The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall''s volcanic grilled sausages that could actually spit fire, and the number of peopleing to appreciate and taste them grew steadily.

    Later, someone posted the video to TikTok and Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), and by the afternoon, numerous people from outside the school were also drawn in,ing over to join the trend.

    This time, Ma Lu had Old Wang prepare 100 sausages, divided into 10 segments each, amounting to 1000 servings. Unexpectedly, they sold out before 5 p.m.

 Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Pigeon

    Not until thest skewered sausage was sold did the snack stand still have quite a crowd gathered around, drawn by its reputation.

    Ma Lu could only add them all to the fan group, saying he would notify them when the stall opened tomorrow. He now had four WeChat groups with nearly 1900 fans.

    In the beginning, it was mainly Aerospace University students, but now outsiders like Hou Yihan were increasinglymon.

    These were all precious sources of customers, useful for when his new store opened in the future.

    After packing up the snack stall, Ma Lu turned to see Old Wang with his head tilted back, gazing at something.

    He followed Old Wang''s gaze and saw a flock of pigeons perched on the power lines.

    "What''s up?"

    "Those pigeons have been there for several days now."

    "Hmm... that''s how pigeons are, they like to stick to a ce."

    As he spoke, Ma Lu squinted and observed closely but couldn''t spot any difference between them and ordinary pigeons, so he asked Old Wang.

    "Do they do anything strange?"

    "No."

    "Then there should be no problem."

    "Yeah." Old Wang''s attention also moved away at that point, "I don''t know much about the things in this universe."

    "No problem, just ask me if there''s anything you don''t understand." Ma Lu patted Old Wang''s shoulder.

    "Heading home?"

    "Yep, but since we sold out early today, let''s check out the shop on the way." Ma Lu checked the time on his phone, it wasn''t even 5 PM yet.

    Ever since he made up his mind to open a store, he had started looking up relevant information online in the past few days.

    Generally speaking, opening a store requires four documents.

    These are a business license, a health certificate, a storefront approval document, and a business permit.

    Getting the business license is rtively simple, just need to bring a lease agreement, a copy of the property title, ID card, and a photo to the local bureau of industry andmerce or market supervision office.

    Ma Lu would definitely be able to obtain a health certificate, but it would be a bit tricky for Old Wang, although in terms of health, probably no one in this universe could surpass him.

    As a silicon-based lifeform he was truly immune to all sorts of poisons, but he obviously couldn''t just stroll into a hospital for an X-ray, nor could he provide routine urine and stool samples.

    Well, but as a robot, he probably didn''t need a health certificate; as long as he was careful not to be discovered, that would suffice.

    As for the storefront approval document, that wasn''t difficult, just needed to report to the urban management department before recing the storefront sign.

    Finally, the business permit, if the shop is less than 50 square meters, one generally just needs to apply for the small food service permit, submit relevant documents to the service hall, followed by an on-site inspection.

    With no issues, the permit would be granted.

    Reviewing the procedures, Ma Lu felt that opening a store wasn''t tooplicated, except for the health certificate. The real challenge was the various inspections that followed.

    The ingredients used by Ma Lu were from the Different Dimension, offering a freshness that far exceeded his peers, and Old Wang could ensure the safety of the food consumption.

    But if inspectors opened the freezer to find giant lizards as big as elephants or hyenas with two heads, it would certainly not be a matter that a fine could solve.

    The inspectors would probably faint on the spot.

    However, Ma Lu''s life philosophy was that where there''s a will, there''s a way.

    He''d even been to another universe and adopted a washing machine that liked to eat mobile phones. He''d let an amnesiac mechanical lifeform from a different dimension take over his couch. What trouble could there be that he couldn''t fix?

    On their way back, Ma Lu and Old Wang had looked at four spaces for their shop in total, one of which they''d found thanks to a renting sign on the road, two were found with the help of a real estate agent, and thest one they''d discovered on an online marketce.

    However, after checking them out, Ma Lu wasn''t too satisfied with any of them.

    Starting a store is just like setting up a stall¡ªthe location is paramount, and the right ce means you''re halfway to sess.

    On the contrary, if the location choice is poor, no matter how hard you work, it would only yield half the result.

    This principle is understood by most people, so ces with good locations generally have very high rents, such as a shopping mall space Ma Lu had seen, which had a monthly rent of 28,000 yuan for 45 square meters.

    The storefronts in business streets were also not cheap. In contrast, themunity stores by the roadside were a bit more affordable, but essentially the rent was tied to the pedestrian traffic around them¡ªyou get what you pay for.

    As night fell, Ma Lu finished his shop search for the day, enjoyed a bowl of rice noodles by the roadside, and headed home with Old Wang.

    While going to ride the tricycle, Ma Lu noticed that Old Wang was staring intently at a spot again.

    It was a Mixue Ice Cream & Tea shop, and in the empty space in front of the shop, there were two pigeons walking in a stuttered gait on the ground looking for food.

    This was amon sight throughout the city, but Ma Lu had be somewhat concerned due to what Old Wang had previously said.

    He watched the two pigeons for a while longer and even took a few steps towards them.

    Probably because they had lived in the city for so long, the two pigeons weren''t very afraid of people. They hurried off a short distance, but after putting some space between them and Ma Lu, they slowed their pace again.

    The pigeons continued bobbing their heads and walking around.

    Ma Lu didn''t bother with them anymore and rode the tricycle back to the neighborhood where he lived with Old Wang.

    First, Ma Lu went to Rookie Station to pick up the Redmi mobile phone he had ordered.

    Number 6, perhaps sniffing something amiss, was especially excited when the door opened, circling Ma Lu incessantly.

    It wasn''t until Ma Lu told it to sit down that 6 finally halted and started wagging its drainpipe.

    Ma Lu tore open the packaging and tossed the phone inside to 6 and didn''t waste the charger and charging cable either.

    After swallowing everything, 6 contentedly returned to the balcony, while Ma Lu went back inside to read his novel for a while.

    It was a pity thetex mattress wouldn''t be delivered until tomorrow morning.

    Because he had stayed up all night hunting yesterday, Ma Lu went to sleep earlier than usual today. After saying goodnight to Old Wang, who was watching TV in the living room, Ma Lu went to bed before nine o''clock.

    Find adventures at m v lem|p-yr

    And after he had fallen asleep, a pigeonnded on his windowsill, cocked its head, and observed him with its red eyes.

    Unlike the dullness typical of ordinary pigeons, this one''s gaze carried a hint of scrutiny.

    It stood on the edge of the bed for about three minutes, and as Ma Lu turned over, it spread its wings and flew away.

    Ma Lu slept until seven o''clock the next morning and woke up feeling rejuvenated, but the bowl of rice noodles fromst night had beenpletely digested.

    So he took his toothbrush into the kitchen, grabbed two small buns previously baked by Old Wang from the fridge, and warmed them in the oven.

    While brushing his teeth, Ma Lu leaned against the counter, waiting for the bread. Out of boredom, he nced out the window.

    His expression suddenly turned serious.

    For he saw another pigeon perched on the rooftop of the building opposite, peeking in his direction.

    Ma Lu didn''t know if it was Old Wang''s influence that had gotten to him, but he was starting to pay more and more attention to the pigeons, making it his first task to look for them wherever he went.

    This caused him to see pigeons more and more frequently.

 Chapter 57: Chapter 57 Urban Manager

    "What happened?"

    Old Wang saw Ma Lu tiptoeing out of the kitchen, so he asked.

    Ma Lu lowered his voice, "About the pigeon, I think you were right. I''ve discovered that the pigeon on the building opposite is surveilling us."

    "No, that''s just an ordinary pigeon," Old Wang shook his head and said.

    "Huh?"

    Feeling somewhat awkward, Ma Lu conceded, "Alright then."

    Just then, the timer for the oven dinged. Ma Lu went to rinse his mouth, spat out the toothpaste foam, and nned to head back to the kitchen for some bread. But after taking a few steps, something urred to him, and he stopped, looking puzzled.

    "Wait a minute, you''ve never even looked at that pigeon. How can you be so sure it wasn''t surveilling us?"

    "Because the one who is surveilling us, I met himst night," Old Wang said, "and, to be precise, he''s not a pigeon."

    ???

    Ma Lu gasped in shock, "So there really is someone keeping watch over us? How...how long has this been going on?"

    "Four days," Old Wang said. "He''s been watching us ever since our first encounter with the urban management officers."

    "Damn, why didn''t I notice anything before?"

    "There are a lot of pigeons on this. Based on my observation, most humans don''t pay attention to the pigeons around them, which effectively makes pigeons invisible in your society. That''s why I can understand why he would choose to take the form of a pigeon."

    "Who is he, and why is he watching us?" Ma Lu asked again.

    However, Old Wang did not reply this time but said instead, "You can ask him directly. You were asleepst night when we just briefly talked. We agreed to discuss more once you were awake. Judging by the time, he should be arriving soon."

    As they were talking, a te-gray pigeonnded on the balcony railing outside.

    Ma Lu walked to the balcony, opened the window, and tried to invite the gray pigeon in, "Uh... do you want toe in and sit?"

    The gray pigeon, however, just tilted its head to look at him, not moving from its spot, and then made a cooing sound.

    "I suspect it''s swearing at us," Ma Lu whispered to Old Wang, "but I have no proof."

    "It''s just not sure if you''re going to hurt it."

    A voice replied, but it wasn''t Old Wang who spoke. It was another, white pigeon.

    It flew in through the open window, retracted its wings, andnded gracefully on the living room couch.

    "Wow, you can actually speak!"

    Ma Lu was somewhat surprised, as he wasn''t wearing the Traveler''s Bracelet right then and couldn''t activate its trantion feature.

    That meant if he could understand what this pigeon was saying, it had to be genuinely speaking Chinese. Plus, the voice was pretty pleasant to the ear, sounding very much like Andy Lau.

    "No, I''m merelymunicating with you through thoughts right now. Given my current physiological structure, I can''t produce sounds like you humans. If you don''t like my current voice, I can change it," said the white pigeon, and quickly Ma Lu heard Lin Chi Ling''s doll-like voice in his mind, "Ready to depart. The total journey is 2.1 kilometers, an estimated 10 minutes..."

    "Stop, let''s switch back to the Andy Lau voice pack," Ma Lu broke in.

    "Okay," the white pigeon replied amicably.

    Then Ma Lu had another burst of curiosity, "What about the Guo Degang version..."

    The white pigeon seemed to pause for a second before responding.

    "We''ve got quite a crowd today, and I''m gratified. Thank you all foring. Everyone here is our bread and butter..."

    Ma Lu gave a thumbs-up, "Cool!"

    White Dove''splexion didn''t seem too good, "Can we get to the main point now?"

    "Of course, of course."

    "You can call me the City Manager."

    "City Manager?"

    "That''s right," White Dove nodded slightly, "I manage the visitors from different dimensions living in this city, standardizing their behavior and conduct, ensuring they don''t do anything out of line, solving troubles they cause, and concealing their existence from the natives."

    "Oh, so youe from an official organization specialized in dealing with these matters?"

    "No," White Dove said, "Your dimension is outside The Grand Alliance, in a corner that official institutions do not notice. As far as I know, The Grand Alliance hasn''t sent any public officials to this."

    "Uh... Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

    "It depends on the perspective you''re looking at it from. For wanderers, refugees, libertarians, and those who just want some peace, it''s probably a good thing. On the other hand, not so much."

    Ma Lu noticed White Dove nce at Old Wang when saying this, and then it continued,

    "However, even for those anarchists, a necessary order is indispensable. The existence of my colleagues and me is to ensure that."

    "You are an Earthling, and ording to regtions, I shouldn''t reveal my identity and these matters to you. But your roommate, this Cosmic Chef, insists that you are his important business partner, crucially responsible for supplying him with ingredients."

    "Therefore, after careful consideration, I have decided to ept..."

    "Hold on a moment," Ma Lu interrupted White Dove, "You just said you''re not an official organization, so why do you keep using these formal terms?"

    "To disy our professionalism," White Dove stated proudly.

    "Let me summarize it for you. This dimensioncks a Cosmic Chef, so you need us. You talked a long spiel just to express that, right?"

    White Dove fell silent.

    "Alright, I hope we can cooperate happily from now on." Ma Lu reached out his hand, smiling brilliantly.

    White Dove reluctantly extended a wing and shook hands with Ma Lu.

    "The incident of you speeding that tricycle up to 200 mph in front of countless surveince cameras, I''ve taken care of that for you, but in the future, it would be best if you were more careful in your actions."

    "We were thinking the same thing," Ma Lu said as he poured a cup of tea for White Dove.

    Thetter shook its head.

    So Ma Lu went to the kitchen and brought out the buttered bread he had baked earlier, breaking a piece and cing it in front of White Dove.

    White Dove was satisfied and pecked at it.

    Ma Lu went on, "Here''s the thing, Brother Pigeon, we''ve realized that continuing with the street stall increases our risk of exposure, so we are nning to rent a ce and open a storefront. This way we won''t have to be chased by city management. But there''s still a problem."

    "As you know, our ingredients are quite... special. If someone discovered that we''re transporting ingredients back from other universes, it might increase your workload again."

    The pigeon kept eating and listening, knowing what the human in front of it was insinuating, and it regained its previous pride.

    Just as it was about to speak, it suddenly couldn''t help shivering, and then a puddle of white, unidentifiable substance appeared on the sofa.

    The atmosphere became somewhat strained.

    Two humans and one pigeon stared at each other with wide eyes.

    In the end, Ma Lu was the first to break the silence, "No worries, no worries, it''s a physiological thing, I know. Birds have straightforward digestive systems. I''ll get some paper for you, Brother Pigeon, keep eating."

 Chapter 58 Identity

    Chapter 58 Identity

    Ma Lu wiped away the puddle of white unknown substance, then ced a sheet of A4 paper beneath as if nothing had happened, and continued with the previous topic.

    "So, about the inspection..."

    Perhaps it was because he had identally stained the couch, but White Dove had be much more polite, dropping the official tone.

    "I can help you with the inspection, but I can''t always stay in your shop. I have many other duties. Here''s what I''ll do: I''ll give you an address, you go there and meet the owner, he should have what you need."

    White Dove waited until Ma Lu took out his mobile phone before continuing, "Jin Xin Plumbing and Hardware Department Store, the one on Fragrant Garden East Road. But the owner isn''t around this week; he''s gone out of town to stock up on supplies. Go there next week."

    "Mm-hmm," Ma Lu checked the location with Amap navigation, discovering that it wasn''t too far; it would only take about twenty minutes by tricycle from Aerospace University.

    He wanted to further leverage his rtionship with White Dove, to extract more information from him.

    However, White Dove didn''t give him another chance. "Let''s leave it at that; I have other matters to attend to. Take care on your own and try to avoid trouble."

    Hearing this, Ma Lu hurriedly said, "Leave a contact number, please, so we can notify you promptly if there''s an emergency."

    "No need; I wille to find you when the time is right," White Dove replied and then nced at Old Wang before spreading his wings and flying out of the rental room.

    Watching his figure disappear behind the opposite residential building, Ma Lu turned back to Old Wang.

    "What do you think?"

    "Hmm?"

    "Do you believe what he said?"

    "There are no records of urban managers in my sector," Old Wang said. "Of course, there''s also the possibility that those records are stored in a damaged sector, but now they''re beyond retrieval.

    "However, based on my observations and information collected during this time, I am inclined to believe that there is an unofficial organization on this dealing with the affairs rted to visitors from different dimensions, maintaining stability."

    Ma Lu''s interest piqued, "He just mentioned The Grand Alliance, and I remember you''ve mentioned that name as well. What exactly is The Grand Alliance?"

    "The Grand Alliance is the establisher and maintainer of order in the Multiverse, simr to the United Nations on this," said Old Wang. "The Grand Alliance has many departments with arge number of officials responsible for dealing with various affairs in the Multiverse.

    "Although there are some who dislike The Grand Alliance, oppose their rules, and their bureaucratic style, investigations show that at least 71% of respondents have a positive attitude towards The Grand Alliance."

    "That pigeon said our dimension is outside The Grand Alliance. Why is that? Is it because we haven''t met the conditions to join, like technological level or something?" Ma Lu continued to inquire.

    "No, your technology isn''t exactly outstanding, but it''s definitely not the most backward. There are many dimensions in The Grand Alliance with a lower level of technology than yours."

    Old Wang paused, then continued, "It''s mainly a matter of geography."

    "Geography?"

    "Yes, your location is quite isted, far from the trade routes. There isn''t any unique resource ormodity to necessitate contact from other dimensions.

    "However, this isn''t necessarily a bad thing because your presence in the Multiverse is quite low, and the two previous total wars had no impact on you at all."

    "After careful deliberation, The Grand Alliance thought it best to let you maintain your current state and then simply blocked the routes to here."

    Ma Lu scratched his head, "Now that you mention it, I do think things are fine as they are, but if all the routes were blockaded, how did you, that pigeon, and the Artisan manage to get here?"

    "I''ve lost that part of the data. Not only that, but I also don''t remember which universe I was in before, what kind of work I was doing, or who I knew."

    Old Wang said, "I can only specte based on the information I have that I arrived on this by boarding a private flight and bypassing the blockade of The Grand Alliance. The others probably did something simr."

    "Hmm, do you have some feud with The Grand Alliance?"

    "Your guess is a possibility, but the data sector that stored that information is damaged, so I can''t verify it anymore."

    "Is there anyone who can fix the damaged sector and help you regain your memory? Oh, right, number 6 seems to have repairing capabilities," Ma Lu said excitedly, pping his thigh as if he had an epiphany.

    "Its repair function is aimed at High-Dimensional Artifacts, and I am not one," Old Wang responded. "Even the Artisan behind it can''t do anything about my situation."

    "I see, but there''s always a way if you really want to find one, right?"

    "Maybe."

    Ma Lu noticed that Old Wang didn''t seem very concerned about regaining his memories.

    Thinking it over, Ma Lu said, "Considering the possibility of some bad blood between you and The Grand Alliance, we should probably continue to avoid their officials going forward, although it''s highly unlikely... we''ll meet anyone from The Grand Alliance anyway."

    As if knowing what Ma Lu was thinking, Old Wang patiently exined, "Identity and self-discovery might be of profound significance for you carbon-based life forms, as you spend your lives searching for your status and roles within a group. But such things are not as important to me.

    "From the moment of our birth, my kind clearly know our mission¡ªto maintain and explore the beauty of the Multiverse. It doesn''t matter who I was or what experiences I had before; none of it hinders our efforts toward our predetermined goal."

    Seeing that the person concerned wasn''t in a hurry, Ma Lu also rxed.

    Personally, he liked Old Wang just the way he was now, and he didn''t know what Old Wang would be if he regained his memories.

    But as a friend, if Old Wang ever felt the need, he would certainly lend his full support.

    Thinking it over, Ma Lu said, "Considering the possibility of some bad blood between you and The Grand Alliance, we should probably continue to avoid their officials going forward, although it''s highly unlikely... we''ll meet anyone from The Grand Alliance anyway."

    "Alright," Old Wang had no objection to this.

    "Also, ording to that pigeon, there are other visitors from different dimensions on this," Ma Lu mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

    "If I managed to get around The Grand Alliance''s blockade, then others could too," said Old Wang. "But you don''t need to worry too much. They''re probably here because they don''t want to be discovered, and they''ll likely follow the rules of this ce. Besides, the city managers are keeping watch."

    "Ah, I''m not worried about Earth''s safety," Ma Lu said. "That nosy pigeon can worry about that. I''m pondering the possibility of expanding our customer base, but there''s no rush. We''ll focus on getting the snack stall up and running first."

    In the following days, the two continued to sell volcanic grilled sausages at West Gate. As more people uploaded short videos of the ming sausages to the inte, earning countless likes, the fame of The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall finally spread beyond Aerospace University.

    Ma Lu noticed that the number of customers from outside the campus was increasing, and there were even tourists who saw the ming sausages on TikTok and Xiaohongshu and came specifically to try them.

    Ma Lu and Old Wang started packing up earlier and earlier, heading out at 11 a.m. and selling out by 3 p.m.

    Meanwhile, Ma Lu went to check out the ce the pigeon mentioned, and found Jin Xin Plumbing and Hardware Department Store on Fragrant Garden East Road, indeed closed. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    A note was pasted on the shutter door stating that the owner was out on business.

 Chapter 59 Sticky Webè·¯Modified

    Chapter 59 Sticky Web¡¤Modified

    By the second week of October, it was noticeably cooler.

    T-shirts and mini skirts were lessmon on the streets, while jeans and jackets were gradually more abundant, making Old Wang''s blue windbreaker look less out of ce.

    However, Ma Lu still used the excuse of not having enough clothes to take Old Wang to Outlets, hoping to make him realize that there were many clothing options avable on this.

    In the end, after a round of shopping, Old Wang chose another windbreaker, simr in style and color to the one he was wearing.

    Seeing Old Wang walk into the changing room ande back out with seemingly no difference, Ma Lu couldn''t help but criticize.

    "So what''s the point of buying this piece of clothing?"

    Old Wang seemed surprised, "Didn''t you say that one isn''t enough?"

    "......"

    "Alright, as long as you like it." Ma Lu didn''t feel like saying more, went to the cashier to pay, and then picked out a pair of sports shoes for Old Wang.

    He also bought himself a pullover, two pairs of track pants, and even got his down jacket for winter ahead of time.

    Seeing that the off-season T-shirts were heavily discounted, he couldn''t resist grabbing two, nning to wear them when it gets warm next year.

    After leaving the mall, Ma Lu couldn''t help but nce at the bnce on his bank card again.

    This week, The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall had a total ie of 106,608 yuan, with only 469.2 in costs, resulting in a profit of 106,138.8 yuan.

    But the more he earned, the more he spent, with the bulk of it going towards equipment upgrades.

    Ma Lu ordered 83 phones in one go, fed them all to Number 6, and directly exchanged them for 800 new value points.

    After that, he spent 400 new value points to upgrade the Collection Bag from Level 3 to Level 4, increasing the storage limit by another 100 kilograms.

    Since changing the strategy and focusing on the lower-end market, the previous pricing problems troubling The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall were mostly resolved.

    Together with the surge in traffic brought by the volcanic grilled sausages, the snack stall''s business was booming and constantly in a state of high demand.

    Ma Lu immediately decided to upgrade the Collection Bag again.

    The additional storage meant more ie, and if he didn''t need to save some money for opening a shop, he''d even consider spending another eighty thousand to upgrade the Collection Bag from Level 4 straight to Level 5.

    Afterward, Ma Lu used the remaining 400 new value points to enhance two other pieces of equipment.

    The Chef''s Knife was upgraded from Level 1 to Level 2, and the Traveler''s Bracelet from Level 1 to Level 3. Now, their functions had changed to:

    ¡ª Split all ingredients without damage. Increase damage by 10%, efficiency in handling ingredients by 20%.

    And

    ¡ª A feature-rich Different Dimension travel assistant that extends the stay by 2 hours.

    The 10% increase in damage slightly improved Ma Lu''sbat capability, preparing him for the possible uing fight with ck Horn.

    However, more importantly, the extra 2 hours of activity time from the upgraded Traveler''s Bracelet.

    This would allow Ma Lu to stay longer in a different dimension, useful for both tracking ck Horn and for future hunting expeditions.

    The Twin Sunflower Hunting Group had seen a significant enhancement in power after two rounds of expansion, but more people meant fewer spoils for each member.

    If they hadn''t stumbled upon ck Horn''s ambushst time, which led to the acquisition of two Lava Giant Lizards, Ma Lu feared that he wouldn''t have filled the Collection Bag.

    For precaution, he decided to upgrade the Traveler''s Bracelet by two levels this time.

    But after ounting for the electricity bill and daily expenses, this meant he only had 20,000 yuan in profit for the week. Coupled with the 80,000 yuan left over from the previous week, there was exactly 100,000 yuan on the card, which might not be enough to open a shop.

    Anyway, the goal was still to continue making money.

    Ma Lu''s first action upon returning was to wash his new clothes in the washing machine, and then he took a short rest. After replenishing his energy, he once again embarked on his journey.

    ......

    When he opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was a sack filled with Red-bellied Rattlesnakes, writhing densely inside with at least 50 snakes by a rough estimate.

    There were also over ten Bloodsucking Tail Weasels with their limbs tied up, two Sand-Spray Qiang, and a Coyote.

    Ma Lu recognized the Coyote as Little Grey, it seemed to have grown a bit since theirst meeting, and it appeared to remember the kind-hearted big brother who had fed it lizard meat.

    Rxing its arched back upon recognizing Ma Lu, Little Grey then squatted back down.

    Ma Lu, upon seeing the scene before him, immediately realized what had happened and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

    "Is Jinjian outside the city?"

    Boggy nodded, "We''re in luck, he left the city two days ago and hasn''t returned yet. Seta is currently keeping an eye on them."

    With her reminder, Ma Lu realized that Seta wasn''t there, so he asked. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Where are they now?"

    "Near Storage Point D9, about a 3-hour drive from us. ording to the news Seta sent back, they are a party of seven."

    "That''s not many."

    "It''s an opportunity," Boggy said as well.

    "Good, once I''ve enhanced the squad, we''ll set out."

    Ma Lu wasted no further words and immediately checked and imed his previous points.

    In thest round of hunting, he obtained a total of 125 blessings, which included 72 White Blessings, 44 Blue Blessings, 7 Purple Blessings, and 2 Golden Blessings.

    His final score¡ª3212, another new record.

    Together with the 614 points remaining from the round beforest, and the 20% interest from the Little Piggy Bank,

    he now had a total of 3949 points at his disposal.

    Ma Lu then opened the Strange Object Store, scanned it briefly, and spent 600 points to purchase the [Sticky Web¡¤Improved], nning to save the rest.

    The Sticky Web was the first strange object Ma Lu acquired, costing him 300 points. Its function was to retrieve one blessing of Purple quality or lower from the reset blessings.

    The price of the Sticky Web¡¤Improved had doubled, and the level of blessing it could retrieve had been raised from Purple to Golden.

    Moreover, these two strange objects didn''t conflict with each other, meaning from now on, Ma Lu would be able to inherit at least one Golden and one Purple blessing at the start of each round.

    Without hesitation, Ma Lu immediately retrieved [Super Imitation Show] using it.

    [Super Imitation Show: Designate a target and mimic its abilities with automatic conditions to activate, mimicry duration 30 seconds, cooldown 2 hours.]

    He had used this blessing once on the Lava Giant Lizard in the previous round, and the effect was exceptional.

    He thought it was a one-time use blessing, but to his surprise, the Strange Object Store conveniently brought out the Sticky Web¡¤Improved, allowing him to reacquire this Golden Blessing.

    Next, Ma Lu also retrieved his old partner [Charge with Hits].

    [Charge with Hits: Each time a team member takes a defensive stance inbat and sustains an attack, their strength increases by 10%, this effect can umte, and resets afterunching an attack.]

    In the meantime, Ma Lu whimsically thought of using his work schedule to designate [Super Imitation Show] to see what kind of style he could put together.

    But in the end, he resisted the urge. Going to trouble ck Horn, the experimentation could wait for another time.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 60: Chapter 60 Forbidden

    The sack of Red-bellied Rattlesnakes was just purchased by Boggy from the market¡ªfifty-nine in total. Because he bought them in bulk, the boss even gave him a 10% discount, totaling 4,779 Electric Degrees deducted directly from thest harvest.

    Whereas the group of Bloodsucking Tail Weasels had been captured by the trio on their way here.

    Ma Lu first sacrificed ten Red-bellied Rattlesnakes to test his luck.

    The result was not a single Purple Blessing, and to make matters worse, he triggered two downgrades consecutively, in which two options for blessings turned from blue to white under the influence of the "Heartbeat Lottery" effect.

    Fortunately, there were still other blessings to choose from, so it wasn''t a big issue.

    Ma Lu scanned through the ten Blue Blessings he had obtained; some of the more useful ones included:

    [Loyal Companion: Increases all four basic attributes of animals and puppets in the team by 20%]

    [Silence is Golden: Attacks by the whole team have a 15% chance to trigger silence status,sting 3 seconds. Targets under silence status cannot use Psychic Powers]

    [That''s a Trap: There''s a 15% chance for Earth-Series Psychic Power users in the team to create a quicksand pit nearby when using their abilities]

    [Invisibility Cloak: Reduces the probability of team members being detected while in stealth by 15%]

    Ma Lu scratched his head; these blessings all had decent effects but seemed to be doing their own things, with no synergy or clear sign of a strategy emerging.

    Therefore, he decided to change his luck, using two Sand-Spray Qiangs as an initial trial, then sacrificed another ten Bloodsucking Tail Weasels for another round of ten.

    As per the Conservation of Luck, Ma Lu finally struck it big this time, opening 3 purple and 7 blue blessings in one go!

    The three Purple Blessings were:

    [The Last Rampart: There''s a 33% chance that the shields of team members will block one instance of damagepletely when damaged]

    [Backstab: When a team member attacks from behind the target, there''s a 33% chance to speed up by 40% and inflict double damage]

    [Ban on Noise: During battle, anybatant, friend or foe, that exceeds a volume of 60 decibels has a 33% chance of entering a paralyzed state for 3 seconds]

    Acquiring [The Last Bastion] again, along with the previously recovered [Charge with Hits], Boggy''s defense and counterattack strategy once again took shape.

    Additionally, [Backstab] was quite practical, ideal forunching initial attacks and could also be used in tandem with the previous Blue Blessing [Invisibility Cloak].

    However, Ma Lu''s attention was fully drawn by thest Purple Blessing [Ban on Noise] at the moment.

    Is this... a new type of blessing?

    Ma Lu had never encountered a blessing like this before; it impartially affected both enemies and allies, feeling somewhat like a Field Magic effect in Yu-Gi-Oh.

    Looking at this Purple Blessing, Ma Lu couldn''t help but stroke his chin again.

    This thing seemed fair, emphasizing equality under a single rule; however, knowing the rules in advance and being unaware of them could lead to vastly different challenges.

    It''s like a basketball game where one team doesn''t know about defensive three seconds, traveling, or carrying before the game starts¡ªhow could they possibly win when the game begins?

    Ma Lu realized the value of this thing in team battles might be greater than that of regr blessings.

    And unlike the Field Magic in Yu-Gi-Oh, which can only have one on the field at a time, there''s no upper limit for this kind of blessing.

    Despite being tempted, Ma Lu remained cautious and sacrificed twenty more Red-bellied Rattlesnakes, obtaining 2 Purple Blessings and 18 Blue Blessings.

    Out of these twenty blessings, Ma Lu primarily focused on Attributes and also chose any that had a highpatibility with his team members'' Psychic Powers.

    It wasn''t until he was left with neen Red-bellied Rattlesnakes and four Bloodsucking Tail Weasels that Ma Lu activated the effect of the work n, targeting [Ban on Noise].

    ```

    He finally obtained five simr blessings, one purple and four blue, in addition to one purple blessing that enhanced his reaction speed.

    Feeling that he was sufficiently prepared, Ma Lu changed into his hunting clothes and set off with Boggy and the others toward the direction where Jinjian was located.

    Three hourster, the four of them met up with Seta, who was responsible for keeping watch, and noticed something odd about her expression.

    Boggy sensed there might be a problem and asked, "What''s wrong?"

    "Jinjian and his group have disappeared," Seta answered.

    "Disappeared, as in they went somewhere else?"

    "I don''t know. Their motorcycles and supplies are still here, but the people are gone," Seta said with disbelief.

    Upon hearing this, Boggy took out a telescope, climbed atop a sand dune, and looked in the direction Seta had indicated. Indeed, he could still see traces of human activity, yet now there was not a single person in sight.

    "When was thest time you saw them?"

    "Probably about half an hour ago," Seta replied. "The guys from ck Horn are very alert. I was worried about being discovered, so I usually wouldn''t get too close. I mainly relied on the tracker to follow them from a distance. I would only get closer to take a quick look when they stopped."

    "You know how to track?" Ma Lu asked, surprised.

    "Yeah, yeah," Seta nodded proudly. "Vice Captain, don''t underestimate me because I''m young. My tracking skills are at least top ten in the Giant Curtain."

    "Really? So where is Jinjian now?"

    "This¡­," Seta replied, looking somewhat embarrassed.

    At that moment, Boggy asked again, "What were Jinjian and his group doing here? Hunting?"

    "No, although they did kill a few prey, it seemed more like they handled them as they came across them. Plus, they didn''t bring any bait, so they weren''t here to bait-fish. Instead, it seemed more like... they were looking for something?"

    "Looking for something?"

    "Right," Seta recalled again and affirmed, "They must be looking for something. As soon as they left the city, they headed straight here and have been wandering around this area for two days."

    Mai Mai shook her head, "Once you lose something in the desert, it''s very hard to find again. The winds and sands bury everything. Jinjian isn''t a fool; he wouldn''t be unaware of this."

    "I want to go over and have a look," Boggy said.

    "Could it be another trap?" Sadie, who had been mostly silent, worried aloud.

    She had watched as her brother was stabbed in the heart with a dagger and had not slept well for the past week due to frequent nightmares.

    "Then let''s go together."

    Ma Lu''s original n was to ambush ck Horn, preferably ending the fight before Jinjian and his people could react or causing heavy losses on the other side. However, he wasn''t worried even if it turned into a head-on sh.

    After bringing Seta into the team, Ma Lu spent some time exining the uing battle tactics, especially the prohibited actions and the consequences of viting them, insisting that everyone must remember them clearly.

    Many of these prohibitions sounded strange, but after witnessing events likeing back from the dead, including Seta, no one doubted Ma Lu any longer and made a mental note of his words.

    Mai Mai even considered the broader implications, "In that case, during the battle, can we deliberately lure enemies into viting these prohibitions?"

    Ma Lu nodded, "Yes, utilizing these prohibitions effectively can make the fight much easier."

    Once everyone was familiar with the tactics, they hid their motorcycles behind the sand dunes and then carefully approached the area where Jinjian and his group had disappeared.

    ```

 Chapter 61: Chapter 61 The Deputy Leader is Able Again

    The five members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group didn''t move quickly, always careful and watchful, but they didn''t encounter any attacks on their way.

    Arriving at the area where Jinjian and his people had been active, they still saw no one.

    If it weren''t for the motorcycles still parked nearby, Boggy would have suspected that the ck Horn people had already left.

    "This is really strange, could they have grown wings and flown away in such a short time?"

    Seta just muttered casually, but it reminded Ma Lu.

    "Going up to the sky is unlikely, but how about underground?"

    "Underground?" Mai Mai raised an eyebrow.

    "Hmm, Seta mentioned it before, right? Jinjian and his lot have been looking for something thesest two days. Is it possible that the thing is underground? And the reason they suddenly disappeared is that they found an entrance to the underground."

    Although it sounded improbable at first, after careful consideration, Boggy had to admit Ma Lu''s guess was likely the closest to the truth.

    Afterwards, they looked around and indeed, found an area of ground that was slightly raisedpared to its surroundings.

    Boggy reached into the sand, and not far down, he touched something hard.

    Seta released his psychic power, drawing the nearby sand and soil together and exposing a stone door below.

    Just as expected!

    Jinjian and his people must have entered through this stone door, which would exin their sudden disappearance.

    The members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group had only intended to investigate the mastermind behind hiring ck Horn to deal with them, but they had inadvertently stumbled upon another one of Jinjian''s secret dealings.

    Seta became excited again, "What do you think is down there, ck Horn''s treasure vault?"

    "If it were ck Horn''s own treasure vault, Jinjian wouldn''t have needed to search for two whole days," Mai Mai responded.

    "That''s true. So it must be another hunting group''s treasure vault. Hmm, if it''s from a hunting group from a long time ago, doesn''t that mean whoever finds it, keeps it?"

    At this point, even Seta''s breathing became a bit heavier.

    "Hey, kid, you really have money on your mind all the time, huh?" Mai Mai said.

    "Because my family needs money," Seta admitted candidly, then looked at Boggy, "What do you say? Shall we also go down and get the treasure before they do?"

    Now that they had decided to take action against Jinjian, Seta wasn''t worried that doing so would utterly offend ck Horn.

    Boggy, however, said, "No, we stay here. We don''t know what''s down there yet; going down rashly might be dangerous. It''s safer to wait here and catch them unaware."

    "But what if there is another exit, and they don''te back this way?" Mai Mai asked.

    "No matter where theye out from, they will have to return here for their motorcycles."

    "That makes sense," Seta was persuaded.

    Ma Lu was also a bit curious about what was behind the stone door, but he knew that Boggy''s choice was the optimal one from a safety perspective.

    However, after waiting outside for a full four hours, Jinjian and his people still hadn''te out from underneath. Instead, another group of people arrived from the direction of the Giant Curtain.

    Mai Mai, who was on lookout, spotted them first and informed the others. The five members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group quickly hid behind the sand dunes.

    Those people had a very clear objective; they headed straight in this direction. They showed no surprise at seeing Jinjian''s motorcycles, parking their own bikes nearby as well.

    Seta stuck his head out to sneak a peek, then quickly retracted his neck, speaking in a hushed tone, "They''re from ck Horn, eight of them. I saw their pins."

    The situation instantly becameplicated. These people were likely called in by Jinjian for help. If they were to meet up with Jinjian, that would mean 15 on the other side, tripling the number of the Twin Sunflower group.

    Moreover, the most important thing was that it had been over seven hours since Ma Lu hade to this ne, and fortunately, he had upgraded the Traveler''s Bracelet by two levels before setting off, which extended his activity time by two hours.

    Even so, he now had only 6 hours and 40 minutes left.

    No matter what Jinjian was searching for down there, things didn''t seem to be going too smoothly, and even with reinforcements called in, no one could guarantee that they would be able to emerge within 6 hours and 40 minutes.

    Ma Lu quickly made up his mind and said to Boggy, "Change of ns, let''s take action ahead of schedule and deal with these neers first."

    "Alright," Boggy said, also realizing they couldn''t let these people go down and join Jinjian, and he signaled to Seta and Sadie.

    At that moment, those people also discovered the stone door.

    While their attention was focused on the stone door, Boggy quietly slid down from the dune.

    The team''s four basic enhancements were now 52% strength, 59% speed, 61% stamina, and 70% reflex.

    Combined with the 40% speed increase upon triggering [Backstab], Boggy''s speed was now twice what it had been before, like a bolt of lightning striking directly at the target!

    It was not until Boggy was less than ten steps away from them that they reacted, hurriedly preparing to fight.

    "Watch out! Someone is snea..." The first one to notice Boggy''s presence bellowed, warning hispanions.

    However, before he could finish his shout, his body started to convulse as if electrocuted, performing an improv Hammer Dance right on the spot.

    [Ban on Noise: During battle, individuals, whether friend or foe, generating noise above 60 decibels have a 33% chance of being paralyzed for 3 seconds.]

    The result was that he couldn''t even convulse for the full 3 seconds before his life was imed by the iing Thorns.

    Sadie''s psychic power might not be as effective against thick-skinned,rge prey, but it was incredibly fierce in yer-versus-yerbat.

    Especially when she shot out forty or fifty Thorns at once, the power was like that of a machine gun spraying bullets.

    Anyone who didn''t manage to dodge in time or didn''t have a lifesaving ability was shot and fell to the ground.

    Sadie took down four people in one go, and Boggy''s Mechanical Spear pierced through another person''s neck.

    Three people remained. Two of them released their abilities, and another just about to take action was knocked down by a Sand Soil Puppet that emerged behind him.

    Two gleaming daggers, one after the other, flew towards Boggy.

    However, one of them was blocked halfway by a fragile-looking Water Shield, while the other was deflected by Boggy''s Mechanical Spear only to curve back, stealthily aiming for Boggy''s back.

    Boggy dodged as if his back had eyes, sidestepping at thest moment, and then elerating towards the person controlling the dagger.

    The other individual conjured a wall of earth to block Sadie''s second volley of Thorns.

    However, instead of turning back to help hispanion, he turned and ran.

    Ma Lu shot a few arrows from his Hand Crossbow, but without [Headshot], his archery waspletely exposed, like tracing an outline around a human target.

    Luckily, there was Little Grey. In a critical moment, the Wind-walking Prairie Wolf bravely charged forward, leaped onto the fleeing person, and began to ferociously bite and w.

    Discover what''s next on m-vl-em,py-r

    The man was pinned to the ground, and although he eventually kicked Little Grey off, the dy allowed Seta to catch up.

    He attempted to employ the same trick again, creating another wall of earth, but before he could finish his chant, another crossbow bolt shot towards him, urately striking his back.

    Seta looked at Ma Lu with admiration in his eyes, gestured a thumbs-up, and praised, "Nice shooting."

    Ma Lu nodded slightly, then turned his head to look at Mai Mai, who, unbeknownst to him, held a Small Hand Crossbow of her own.

    "Where did you get that?" Ma Lu whispered.

    "Bought itst week. I saw that yours was quite useful, so I got one too," Mai Mai smiled sweetly and made a shushing gesture, "Don''t let the others know. I''ll back you up from now on."

 Chapter 62 Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion [Happy New Years Eve~]

    After Ma Lu and Mai Mai dealt with the runaway, they turned around to see Boggy''s fight had also ended.

    The knife-wielding Hunter couldn''t withstand the pincer attack from Boggy and Sadie, and was quickly turned into a hedgehog.

    Boggy actually didn''t like fighting among Hunters; she much preferred hunting wild beasts in the desert.

    But she was well aware of ck Horn''s style of conduct and knew what fate awaited those they targeted. The blood scent emitted by her own kind nearby still instinctively made her feel a bit ufortable.

    Meanwhile, Ma Lu had already started eagerly rummaging through the bodies.

    "What are you looking for?"

    Ma Lu tossed a ck brooch shaped like a rhino horn to Boggy, "This is yours."

    Boggy immediately understood what Ma Lu intended, "Are you nning on going down to find Jinjian?"

    "Mhm, these guys must have been summoned by Jinjian. If they lose contact for too long, Jinjian will definitely be alert. Staying outside in ambush won''t make sense anymore, and he might call for even more people. It''s better to head down directly."

    "But Jinjian should know these people. Even if we disguise ourselves as them, we won''t be able to fool him," Mai Mai said.

    "It''s okay, this is just a precaution. If we bump into him by ident and he sees these brooches, Jinjian will probably hesitate for a moment, giving us the chance to strike first," Ma Lu said.

    The Hunting Clothes used by the Hunters provided good coverage, and with goggles and face masks on, it was hard to recognize anyone from a distance.

    This was probably why the Hunting Groups all made brooches¡ªto easily identify their own.

    Boggy didn''t say anything else, removed the Twin Sunflower brooch, reced it with a ck Horn one, and the others did the same.

    Seta thenmanded the Sand Soil Puppet to pull open the stone b door, revealing a narrow path, winding downward.

    "I''ll go first." Boggy created seven small Water Shields with the water from a newly found water skin, floating them in front of her chest, and then she proceeded down first.

    Little Grey followed closely behind, then Seta and Sadie, with Ma Lu and Mai Mai still at the end of the line.

    The air below was not as murky as expected; there must be venttion connecting with the outside, or perhaps Jinjian''s team included a Psychic Power User with the ability to aerate the space quickly.

    Wary of an ambush, the five of them didn''t walk fast.

    This ce seemed to be a natural cave, but unlike ordinary caves, the rock walls around were fiery red, probably containing a high amount of trivalent iron elements, which indicated that water might have been present here millions of years ago.

    Shaped by both water and wind erosion, many rocks had bizarre forms.

    Some resembled fierce beasts, others sharp des, and some even had features simr to that of humans, which frightened Sadie enough to huddle closer to her brother.

    As everyone continued forward, the light grew fainter, and soon they could barely see the path ahead.

    Fortunately, they found shlights on the bodies of the ck Horn Hunters who came to support Jinjian.

    However, the light also risked exposing their position, and Boggy realized why Ma Lu had been collecting brooches from the bodies.

    They walked a little further, only toe across a three-way fork in the path, causing Boggy to stop and frown slightly.

    Ma Lu said, "Look around for marks. Jinjian is also new to this ce. If there are many forks and it''s easy to get lost, he would have left some signs to helpter reinforcements find their way."

    Boggy hummed in agreement, lifted her shlight, and after searching around, indeed found an arrow mark on a rock.

    "This way." Boggy entered the rightmost path and after walking for a while, her foot stepped on something that made a crisp crack.

    Boggy looked down to see a bone, thinner and longer than a human''s, belonging to some unknown animal.

    And as she moved her shlight forward, she soon found more bones.

    "Be careful, there should be wild beasts living here."

    "What exactly is this ce?" asked Seta.

    "A treasure burial site, but just like in those fairy tales, treasures of inestimable value are always guarded by powerful protectors."

    The response didn''te from someone within the squad but a voice that was maic and slightly cunning from up ahead.

    "You''ve arrived. Follow me, and once we''ve dealt with that remaining Mother Spider, we''ll get the treasure."

    "Vice Captain Jinjian?" Ma Lu called out tentatively.

    "Hmm, what about it?" the person replied offhandedly.

    The five members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group quickly exchanged nces and each gripped their weapons tighter.

    Boggy shone his shlight in the direction of the voice.

    A figure stood beside a rock pir not far away, and the sudden strong light made the person squint instinctively.

    Sadie had already extended her right hand and shot out seven Thorns in one breath!

    However, the seven Thorns ultimately only embedded in the rock pir, while the figure had disappeared.

    Jinjian was craftier than they had imagined. Although he initially mistook them for reinforcements, when he realized something was off at thest moment, he also fled quickly.

    "Chase!" Boggy didn''t waste words and immediately charged forward with his Mechanical Spear.

    As Jinjian ran, he tried to warn his people ahead, but as soon as he opened his mouth, four more Thorns whizzed by, narrowly missing his scalp.

    So he also learned to be wise and merely fled headlong without another word.

    The five Hunters and a wolf closely pursued him, but Jinjian clearly knew the terrain of the cave better than they did, managing to escape using the oddly shaped rocks each time they were about to catch up.

    But after running another seventy steps or so, he suddenly stopped, turned his head, and spoke again.

    "Did Chief Sanrew send you to kill me? If he wants the treasure here, he could have just told me, and I would have given it to him with both hands."

    "Sure, then Vice Captain, you surrender first, and I''ll take you to the Chief for you to exin to him," said Ma Lu.

    "That''s not how you negotiate," Jinjian shook his head. "You have to show some good faith as well."

    "What good faith do you want?"

    "For instance... how about having your people stop aiming at me?" Jinjian said leisurely.

    The next moment Sadie shot out Thorns again towards Jinjian, but they were blocked halfway by something.

    Then, a rustling sound came from the rock wall.

    Boggy pointed the shlight upwards and saw a creature over one meter in length with spines on its legs, reminiscent of both a spider and a scorpion. It was the one that had just blocked Sadie''s Thorns.

    Just as the scanning cooldown ended, Ma Lu received a new notification.

    ¡ª Ding! Congrattions on discovering a 3-star ingredient, the Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion. The Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion encyclopedia entry has been unlocked.

    "Have a good time with my little treasures," Jinjianughed.

    Apart from above them, there was a Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion on the rock walls to their left and right, each crawling towards them. At the same time, Jinjian''s subordinates, alerted by the noise, rushed over, resulting in an encirclement of the five Hunters.

 Chapter 63 Clear the Field

    Ma Lu raised his voice a few notches, "Vice Captain Jinjian, it seems you''re dead set on betraying Chief Sanrew!"

    At Ma Lu''s words, Jinjianughed aloud, "Cut the act, you''re not from Sanrew''s squad. I understand Sanrew; if he wants someone dead, he wouldn''t give them any chance to survive nor waste so much breath. Just kill them."

    Jinjian''sst sentence was directed at his subordinates.

    Meanwhile, the five members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group also prepared for battle, as Sadie fired twenty Thorns at the Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion above their heads.

    All the Thorns pierced the body of the Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion, but it seemed immune to pain and continued to plunge downward.

    In a critical moment, it was Seta''s Sand Soil Puppet that crashed into the descending Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion, saving the squad below, but then two more Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpions came charging in.

    One from the left and one from the right, brandishing their limbs, seething with killing intent.

    Ma Lu and the others quickly retreated, only to see the Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion on the right speed up, reaching them first, then suddenly stiffening, frozen in ce.

    The Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion behind it, unable to slow down in time, also crashed into itspanion.

    [Yield While Turning: During battle, when one turns without yielding to those going straight and regardless of friend or foe, there is a 15% chance of being frozen in ce for 5 seconds.]

    This was another blue-field blessing simr to [Ban on Noise] that Ma Lu had obtained, and he didn''t expect it toe to use so soon.

    The Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion had turned from the right just in the path of its straight-movingpanion, meeting the conditions for [Yield While Turning] and thus inviting divine punishment.

    Taking advantage of the moment, Boggy thrust his spear forward, bursting one of the Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion''s eyes that was frozen in ce.

    He then quickly pulled out the Mechanical Spear, rolled to the side to dodge the sharp, scythe-like legs of the other Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion, and took the opportunity to slide under its belly.

    Striking again, this time the Mechanical Spear pierced right through the underbelly of the Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion.

    Boggy let out a soft exmation of surprise, feeling that these Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpions were not as strong as described in the textbooks; their movements were only slightly faster than a normal Hunter''s and carried a hint of stiffness.

    And with Ma Lu''s enhancement, the members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group had both speed and reaction time above those of the Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpions.

    "They have wounds on them; they must have already been through a major fight. They are likely under someone''s control now," Mai Mai said, "Jinjian is a Beast-Series Psychic Power User."

    The psychic abilities of most Hunters are no secret, but Jinjian was clearly an exception; he seldom acted in front of others.

    It was said that those who had seen him use his powers were either his close confidants or already dead.

    Thus, this was the first time the members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group witnessed his abilities.

    Jinjian loudly reminded his men, "Be careful, there''s someone in their team who can shoot spikes."

    His voice had obviously exceeded 60 decibels, but unfortunately, it did not trigger [Ban on Noise].

    Seta controlled a Sand Soil Puppet to fight with another Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion.

    Thanks to the blessing of [Loyal Companion], the already advantageous strength of the Sand Soil Puppet grew even greater, and the boost in speedpensated for some of itsck of mobility, managing to suppress the Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion.

    But as the members of ck Horn joined the fray, the pressure on the members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group quickly mounted. If not for the concern of Sadie''s Thorns, those guys would have swarmed them already.

    Mai Mai knew she had to take action and opened her backpack, but Ma Lu pushed her hand down.

    "Wait, you covered for me before, now it''s my turn to cover for you."

    "Vice Captain, I know you mean well, but this is really something you can''t do for me," Mai Mai said tactfully.

    "No, I really can do this!"

    Ma Lu leaped out from behind the rocks where he was hiding, and immediately activated the effect of [Super Mimicry Show], designating Mai Mai as his target.

    The next moment he felt a powerful current suddenly surge into his body!

    It was an incredibly peculiar sensation, as if time had suddenly slowed down. With his body as the center, the electric current spread out like a wildly dancing dragon to the surroundings.

    Ma Lu had an intense confidence that he could control these seemingly chaotic electrical currents. Then he pointed his hand in one direction¡ª

    The currents, like sharks that had caught the scent of blood, heeded hismand and converged on that spot, encircling a ck Horn Hunter who was standing there.

    Very quickly, the hunter began to shake like a sieve. He had difficulty breathing, his skin was burning, and he couldn''t move an inch from where he stood. Before long, he began to emit a burnt smell.

    Next, Ma Lu pointed towards another spot. There was another ck Horn hunter there who, sensing danger, had already retreated behind a rock pir.

    However, the cheerful currents still skirted around the pir and found him, and soon he followed in hisrade''s footsteps.

    Ma Lu then turned his head towards a third target¡­ but by this time, the people from ck Horn had also realized the danger.

    Jinjian roared again, "Take out that guy who can electrocute first!"

    But this time he wasn''t so lucky. He triggered [Ban on Noise] and entered a 3-second paralysis state.

    However, the rest had heard hismand andunched their attacks at Ma Lu.

    But to Ma Lu, their movements all seemed too slow. He dodged while moving, and even managed to give another lucky audience member an electric shock.

    By now, Ma Lu fully understood why Captain Li had once said the electric field was terrifying.

    Once this ability was unleashed, unless the opponent was prepared in advance, it was like having an invincibility mode with both offense and defense maxed out.

    Mai Mai needed arge stack of batteries to assist when he activated the electric field.

    But with the help of [Golden Blessing], Ma Lu could not only copy a designated target''s ability, but also automatically meet the conditions needed to activate it, meaning he could electrocute without even needing batteries.

    Furthermore, Ma Lu''s electric field couldst a full 30 seconds, which was far longer than Mai Mai''s.

    Right, a real man shouldst longer!

    Ma Lu took out a total of 6 ck Horn Hunters, along with the two Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpions controlled by Jinjian, effectively clearing the field, before he exited the state of the electric field.

    And unlike Mai Mai, Ma Lu had no Telekinesis, so he naturally did not suffer from the severe side-effects of exhausting psychic power after using the electric field, appearing still refreshed and spirited.

    By this time, Jinjian had long recovered from his paralysis, but when he looked around, he found that none of his subordinates were still standing.

    Finally, hisplexion changed, and he said, with a mixture of shock and suspicion, "Who, who exactly are you people?"

    Having dealt with thest Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpion, Boggy approached Jinjian with his Mechanical Spear still dripping with blood.

    "We have a few questions we''d like to ask Vice Captain Jinjian here."

    Read thetest tale on M-VL-em|p,yr

    "What questions." Jinjian took half a step back, but his retreat was blocked by a Sand Soil Puppet.

 Chapter 64 : 64 Cooperation

    "Not long ago, you took on a darkmission," the employer asked you to send someone to kill a newly established small hunting group. I wonder if Vice Captain Jinjian still remembers that."

    Jinjian''s eyes circled around. "Five people, and a wind-walking prairie wolf. I know who you are; you''re from the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group. The team I sent out to deal with you lost contact a week ago, it looks like you''ve taken care of them."

    "Answer my question." Boggy stepped forward two paces, pressing the mechanical spear against Jinjian''s throat.

    Jinjian spread his hands. "Don''t be in such a hurry. I have the answers you want, just be a little more patient, and I might even be able to give you more¡­"

    "If you think you can buy time for reinforcements to arrive, you can forget about it." Ma Lu friendly reminded, "We took care of your backup before we came down here."

    "I admit, I underestimated your abilities before," Jinjian said, "especially you."

    He looked into Ma Lu''s eyes with his characteristic maic voice, "Are you interested in joining ck Horn? I can offer you double, no, four times the price¡­"

    Before Ma Lu could respond, he turned to the others. "The same goes for you. ck Horn''s doors are always open to those with extraordinary talents. Here you can better showcase your abilities and earn more money.

    "Plus, I can wipe the te clean of the previous matter. I''ll take care of those who wanted to go after you; following me, you can work in peace, assured that no one will dare to touch you again."

    "Forget it. If it''s money we''re after, extorting you would be much quicker than being yourckey," Ma Lu said.

    "You wouldn''t want to go to war with ck Horn, believe me," Jinjian said. "No one in Great Curtain City can bear Sanrew''s wrath; his power is beyond your imagination. You''ve already killed a number of ck Horn hunters. If anything else happens to me, this feud will get too big to handle, and Sanrew will eventually track you down."

    "Enough talk, just tell me the name of the employer," Boggy demanded in a deep voice.

    "Alright, Chi Qi. It was Chi Qi from the Harpist Hunting Group who found me and said he was willing to pay to have you killed."

    Boggy was taken aback at the revtion. "Are you trying to deceive me?"

    "I''m not lying to you. He''s always wanted to drive you out of your father''s hunting group, hasn''t he?" Jinjian said with a sincere expression.

    "I''ve already left the Harpist and even established a new hunting group, that should have been enough to put his mind at ease."

    "He''s not worried about youing back now, but your new hunting group is too eye-catching, returning from every hunt with a great catch, one valuable prey after another. How does that make the others in the Harpist look at him?"

    "Chi Qi initially tried to convince Guli to give up on you, arguing that your abilities weren''t sufficient to be a hunter, and that you''d only drag the rest of the hunting group down. Yet after you left, your life got better and better, proving that he was wrong all along.

    "Some even suspect he set you up on purpose, just to drive you away and take the vice captain position for himself. Anyways, he''s not having an easy time now."

    "Just over something like that, he wants us dead?"

    "Young men are inevitably impulsive," Jinjian shrugged.

    "No, hiring you would require a lot of money. Where would he get that much?"

    "Like I said, ck Horn''s doors are always open to those with special talents. A young hunter with not bad skills like him has ways to get money.

    "If you''re willing toe back with me to Great Curtain, I can find the IOU he wrote, and give it to you."

    Boggy still found it hard to believe; the mechanical spear in his hand moved a few inches forward, and he said excitedly, "You''re lying!"

    Jinjian sighed, "I don''t have it, and deep down you must know I''m telling the truth, so what are you going to do next? Are you going to kill him?"

    "To kill the rising star of the Harpist Hunting Group should be an easy feat for you. But if you do that, the Hunting Group your father left behind will likely fall into ruin," Jinjian said, while carefully watching the expressions on Boggy''s face, then abruptly switched the topic.

    "Or, you could ask me to mediate the conflict between you two. I can make sure he behaves himself from now on and stops causing you trouble. This way, the matter can be put to rest, and everyone will be happy," Jinjian suggested.

    Boggy stayed silent, the knuckles of the hand holding the mechanical spear turning white.

    Mai Mai patted her on the shoulder, "Let me interrogate him. I think this guy won''t cry until he sees his coffin; what he''s telling you might not be true."

    On hearing this, Jinjian''s expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly said, "Don''t rush to torture me, I can reveal another secret to you."

    "What secret?" Ma Lu asked, intrigued.

    "Don''t you want to know why I came here?"

    "Didn''t you say this was a treasure-burying site?"

    Jinjian lowered his voice a bit, "That was just a story I made up for others. In reality, there''s a secret treasure hidden here."

    Ma Lu sneered, "Secret treasures are just legends."

    "The secret treasure is not a legend. The leader of the Golden Sword once obtained a secret treasure that enabled him to unlock a second psychic power, significantly enhancing his strength," Jinjian argued.

    "Each person can only have one psychic power; that''s an ironw no hunter can break," Seta countered, "Do you take us for fools?"

    "The reason why it''s called a secret treasure is precisely because of its incredible power," Jinjian insisted.

    "I manage ck Horn''s shady businesses and the rted financial ounts. Ordinary treasures have long since failed to interest me.

    "To tell you the truth, my search for the secret treasure was hidden from Sanrew, so when I first saw you, I truly thought the news had leaked, and he had sent you to snatch the secret treasure."

    "How about it, now that you know my secret, can''t we coborate?" Jinjian''s eyes flickered with greedy anticipation.

    "There''s also a Mother Spider outside the hall where the secret treasure is stored, more formidable than the three Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpions you''ve encounteredbined. I had nned to wait for more people before taking it on, but obviously, you''re much stronger than those useless ones,

    "If you help me obtain that secret treasure, I can pay you a reward of 100, no, 300 million Electric Degrees each."

    Upon hearing this number, Seta couldn''t help but gasp, therge sum was enough to take care of his father''s medical expenses for the rest of his life.

    Ma Lu wasn''t particrly interested in the money of this world, but the mention of the secret treasure''s power made even him momentarily tempted.

    His gaze toward Jinjian became somewhat sinister, as if knowing what he was thinking, Jinjian hurriedly said,

    "The secret treasure requires a key to open, which could be anything¡ªa stone, a feather, or some creature''s bone. I''ve already hidden the key. If you kill me, you''ll never be able to obtain the secret treasure."

 Chapter 65 : 65 Spiked Whip Spider Queen

    Jinjian observed the expressions on the faces of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group members and proposed a new deal.

    "Here''s the deal, I can help you find the secret treasure and even let you have it. I can also help you resolve your conflict with ck Horn. But this is under one condition, you must spare me. I can only do these things while I''m alive."

    Boggy seemed to want to say something, but Ma Lu cut in before her, "I think that''s eptable."

    "Oh, you must be the mysterious deputy leader of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group," Jinjian said. "We are both deputy leaders, it seems we have quite a bit inmon, but no offense, I would like to know how much weight your words carry within your hunting group."

    "His opinion is my opinion," Boggy replied.

    "The deputy leader saved my life. I will always support him," Seta immediately stated.

    "I do as well," Sadie chimed in.

    "I''ve always been a cheerleader for both the leader and the deputy," Mai Mai said with a hand on her hip.

    "Very good, very good," Jinjian extended his hand. "It seems we can make a deal. ording to the Hunter''s Code, we must stake our hunters'' honor. If one side breaks the promise, they will be spurned by all, lose the favor of the Hunting God, and never bag valuable quarry again."

    "No need for a handshake. You''re not exactly trustworthy, and who knows what sneaky ideas you might have," Ma Lu said. "But I am willing to ept your deal."

    A hint of mockery flickered across Jinjian''s face. "Don''t be like that, you can''t be that cowardly. I''m surrounded by you. You already know about my psychic power. What trouble could I possibly stir up now?"

    "Well, that remains to be seen," Ma Lu mused. "In any case, I''ve already agreed to your terms. It''s up to you whether to continue the deal or not."

    Jinjian shrugged. "Alright, then I''ll trust you this once. You seem like an honorable man."

    And so, two men bereft of hunter''s honor made their dubious promises to each other.

    Following that, Boggy stepped forward and searched Jinjian thoroughly, confiscating anything that could potentially be used as a weapon.

    She even tied up his hands with a rope.

    Throughout this, Jinjian kept murmuringints and mocking the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group for being overly cautious, but he did not resist and let himself be controlled.

    Then he led the way, bringing everyone to the stone hall where the Mother Spider was located.

    "Inside there''s a tough customer, the leader of those Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpions outside. You have to defeat it to get the secret treasure."

    The Traveler''s Bracelet''s scan confirmed that Jinjian wasn''t lying; the creature inside the hall was named [Spiked Whip Spider Queen], a 4-star ingredient, on par with the Lava Giant Lizard.

    It ranked one whole star above the regr Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpions.

    Jinjian then looked at Ma Lu, "Of course, with your frightening telekinesis power, dealing with this Mother Spider shouldn''t be a problem for you."

    "Don''t test me, I won''t make a move this time."

    Although [Super Mimicry Show] was powerful, it had a 2-hour cooldown, and Ma Lu was still waiting for it to refresh. He also signaled Mai Mai with his eyes, telling her not to rush in.

    Ma Lu didn''t think that Jinjian would willingly give away the secret treasure that was almost within his grasp. The man surely wouldn''t honor the deal without some sort of trickery.

    Sure, since he cared so much about the electric field, Ma Lu intended to save Mai Mai''s electric field for him.

    Although the Spiked Whip Spider Queen was a formidable 4-star, Boggy, Seta, and Sadie were alsoden with blessings. As long as they made preparations in advance, they should be capable of winning this battle.

    Boggy first created seven water shields, which hovered in front of him, then took the Young me Lizard and Chef''s Knife passed to him by Ma Lu and hooked them on his waist, adopting a defensive stance.

    After waiting for about three minutes, under the effect of [Charge with Hits], his strength bonus had reached 1562%.

    Boggy then nodded to Seta, who created a Sand Soil Puppet and manipted it to enter the stone hall, paving the way and drawing fire.

    The Sand Soil Puppet made its way to the center of the stone hall, along the way encountering the carcasses of various wild beasts, including a Grey-Spotted Cheetah that was so mutted only half of its body remained, a grisly death indeed.

    However, these scattered bones helped guide the Sand Soil Puppet, which continued forward, ultimately encountering the massive ck silhouette atop the mound of bones.

    It sat like a king upon a throne made from piles of bones.

    As a telekic creation, the Sand Soil Puppet wasn''t frightened by this eerie scene. Swinging its fist, it viciously smashed the head of the Spiked Whip Spider Queen, surprisingly shattering her skull with ease.

    But beneath the skull, there was nothing.

    On top of the bone pile, there was only an empty exoskeleton.

    Spiked Whip Spider Queens have a habit of molting, and as they grow, they shed their old exoskeleton when it bes too tight.

    They secrete bodily fluids to form new skeletons, then dissolve the connective tissue between the new and old skeletons, shedding the old exoskeleton like removing clothing.

    Realizing the dire situation when the Sand Soil Puppet hit the old exoskeleton, Seta tried to get the puppet to turn around, but before themand could be issued, the puppet was knocked over by a tremendous force.

    The puppet''s ribs were instantly pierced by limbs, then forcibly torn apart by two robust pincers.

    The Spiked Whip Spider Queen ultimately revealed herself.

    Her appearance was odd indeed¡ªa spider with 8 eyes, 8 legs, but also equipped with a scorpion''s pincers, allowing her to attack like a scorpion.

    However, shecked a scorpion''s tail spike and her size dwarfed the ordinary Spiked Whip Spider Queen that Boggy and the others had encountered before¡ªthe legs alone were 4 meters long and bristled with dense, backwards-facing spines.

    To be struck by one would likely lead to a gruesome fate.

    After pouncing on the Sand Soil Puppet, the Spiked Whip Spider Queen intended to relish its meal, but biting down, she got only a mouthful of sand.

    She soon realized she''d been tricked and spat out the sand from her mouth, set to find a new target, only to suddenly feel weak and powerless.

    [No Spitting Anywhere: Duringbat, any party that spits indiscriminately, friend or foe, has a 33% chance of entering a weakened state for 15 seconds. In this weakened state, strength, speed, stamina, and response time are reduced by 50%.]

    This was another of the blessings Ma Lu possessed, initially intended for Jinjian and his subordinates. Unexpectedly, it turned out the people from ck Horn had quite decent manners.

    Instead, it was the Spiked Whip Spider Queen who got caught out, though strictly speaking, it couldn''t be med since anyone with a mouthful of sand would desperately want to spit it out.

    Boggy, with his hunter''s keen instincts, immediately caught onto the abnormal state of the Spiked Whip Spider Queen. Guided by his hunting instincts, he sprang into action, charging ahead with cover from Sadie and Seta, and hurled his mechanical spear.

 Chapter 66 Changing Colors

    ```

    Under the 1712% boost in strength, the Mechanical Spear easily pierced the body of the Spiked Whip Spider Queen, pinning her against the nearby rock wall.

    However, such high-level prey wouldn''t be killed so easily; even with its strength halved, the Spiked Whip Spider Queen still managed to forcefully pull the Mechanical Spear out from its back with its front ws.

    Bright green blood gushed from its wounds, thoroughly enraging it, as all four of its front eyes locked onto Boggy.

    Boggy showed no signs of panic, drawing another Mechanical Spear from her back. The one she''d thrown just moments ago was picked up from a fallen ck Horn Hunter, but this spear was her own.

    Taking advantage of the Spiked Whip Spider Queen''s reduced attributes, Boggy engaged in a hit-and-run fight, seizing opportunities to stab several more holes in its body.

    But the 15 seconds of the vulnerability state came to an end, and the Spiked Whip Spider Queen regained its formidable strength.

    Its speed suddenly surged, attempting the same attack again by thrusting two of its limbs at Boggy, one of which was intercepted by a Water Shield in front of her.

    The other was dodged by Boggy as she ducked, but then came those pincer-like front ws.

    During that brief interval, Boggy erected four more Water Shields; three were destroyed on impact, but the fourth triggered [The Last Rampart]''s damage immunity effect, blocking a pincer for her.

    Just then, another Sand Soil Puppet created by Seta arrived, seizing the remaining pincer.

    Boggy didn''t use her Mechanical Spear but pulled out the Chef''s Knife lent to her by Ma Lu from her waist. She leapt from the ground and viciously shed at the pincer.

    The Chef''s Knife, designed to cut through any ingredient, cleanly severed the pincer.

    At the same time, Sadie found an opportunity to shoot thorns, exploding both eyes on one side of the Spiked Whip Spider Queen''s face.

    The scales of victory began to tip towards the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, but just then, an unexpected change urred!

    The Spiked Whip Spider Queen, sensing danger, split open the rear of its abdomen, unleashing a swarm of small spiders.

    Not only were those close to it like Boggy and Seta affected, but Ma Lu and Mai Mai at the entrance of the stone hall were also caught in the chaos, scrambling to dodge the spiders, and during the confusion, Ma Lu even got bumped into.

    Fortunately, although the small spiders were numerous and intimidating, theirbat strength was ordinary, not much stronger than regr spiders, and their pincers and spines couldn''t pierce the Hunting Clothes.

    So as long as one was careful not to let them crawl on one''s face, it wasn''t a big problem.

    Ma Lu stomped on quite a few with his shoes, while Little Grey, as if blessed with divine strength like a roaming swordsman, showed off impressively.

    It carved through the spider swarm, avenging its earlier shame.

    Agile and boosted by [Loyal Companion], Little Grey was untouchable by the spiders, which were simply smacked away one by one.

    Little Grey burst them like balloons, and the small spiders didn''tst long before thebined efforts of everyone eradicated them.

    The Spiked Whip Spider Queen wasn''t faring much better; Boggy chopped off four of its legs and another pincer,pletely eliminating its ability to fight back.

    Shortly afterward, Seta''s Sand Soil Puppet mounted and pummeled the Queen, and it didn''t take long for her to breathe herst, contributing another Golden Blessing to Ma Lu.

    [Power Bank: There''s a 50% chance for team members to use Psychic Powers at zero cost.]

    This Golden Blessing was simple and unadorned but very practical, effectively enhancing the team''s endurance.

    Even for a member like Mai Mai, who dealt in one-shot deals, with some luck, they could possibly unleash their ultimate move repeatedly.

    The only regret, perhaps, was that it couldn''t synergize with [Super Mimicry Show].

    The mimic effect within that blessing is set to refresh every two hours, regardless of the amount of Psychic Power avable.

    ```

    After the death of the Spider Whip Queen, everyone''s gaze swept the stone hall, searching for the legendary secret treasure.

    However, no ce for stashing treasure was found until Seta used the Sand Soil Puppet to knock down that pile of bones, revealing a stone door.

    The moment Jinjian saw that stone door, his eyes burned with fervor, and then he noticed everyone from the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group was watching him.

    "ording to the agreement, it''s time for you to bring out the key," Ma Lu said.

    Jinjian bared his teeth, and with his unique maic voice, he said, "Knowing who I am, you should never have taken my word for granted."

    "Are you thinking of going back on your word?"

    "Let me tell you another secret," Jinjian said with a radiant smile. "I am indeed a Beast-Series Psychic Power User, but my psychic ability isn''t to control beasts, it''s to change color."

    "Change color?"

    "That''s right. Do you know there''s a little lizard in the desert that can change its body color to match its surroundings? My ability is quite simr to that. By touching other hunters, I can temporarily grasp the target''s psychic power, taking control of wild beasts which was the power I had previously mastered."

    His words made everyone''s expression change, as most of them were hearing about such a bizarre psychic ability for the first time.

    Ma Lu''s expression also changed but into something rather peculiar.

    He had not expected Jinjian''s psychic ability to be somewhat simr to [Super Mimicry Show], though it wasn''t as heaven-defying; it was still quite formidable among the psychic powers he hade across.

    "The handshake you wanted with me earlier... was that to learn my ability?"

    Jinjianughed proudly upon hearing that. "Although you were reluctant to shake hands with me, I still managed to touch you while those little spiders were running around. Your electric psychic power is indeed very strong, stronger than I imagined, but now it''s mine! Hahaha!!!"

    "Are you sure?"

    Ma Lu was not a Psychic Power User; all his abilities were bestowed by blessings, though he always imed his psychic power was Meat Pigeon.

    So when Jinjian spoke, Boggy and the others grew tense, and Sadie had already aimed her right arm at Jinjian.

    Without wasting words, Jinjian immediately pointed at Sadie, eximing, "Die!"

    Sadie, feeling nervous at being targeted, also instinctively fired Thorns.

    Suddenly, the smile on Jinjian''s face froze.

    No electricity flowed from his fingertips, while Sadie''s Thorns had already hit his chest.

    Confusion painted Jinjian''s face as he couldn''t understand why his infallible color-changing ability was ineffective this time.

    Could it be the target''s electric psychic ability required some condition to be released? But Jinjian had clearly seen Ma Lu release electricity with his bare hands, without using anything.

    That was the reason he had pinned all his hopes on Ma Lu, but now he had lost the bet.

    Jinjian still wanted to use his excellent eloquence to recover from this unfavorable situation and propose a new deal eptable to both sides.

    But one of the Thorns had already pierced his heart.

    The deputy leader of ck Horn opened his lips, but ultimately he said nothing, falling backward.

    With an apologetic look, Sadie whispered, "I''m... I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to do it."

    "It''s okay, what''s done is done. He was asking for it, being dishonest first," Ma Lu said. "It''s just a shame we didn''t get the key out of him."

 Chapter 67 The Great Power Outage

    Speaking of keys, Ma Lu remembered that Seta had also given him onest time, it was an Earth Dragon tooth, simrly associated with the Secret Treasure.

    When Ma Lu left, he had thrown it into the storage point, and this time he brought it with him, adhering to an attitude of trying his luck.

    Upon checking his pockets, he found the Earth Dragon tooth again, but when he got to the stone door, there was no reaction, nor did he see anything resembling a keyhole on the door.

    "Hey, could there be many rooms that store the Secret Treasure? Each room corresponding to a different key?"

    "I''m not sure either," Mai Mai said, "The existence of the Secret Treasure is a mystery in itself, no one is clear about how many there are, but I think that if there are multiple, there wouldn''t be that many. Otherwise, aside from the leader of the Golden Sword, Hogan, no one else would have obtained the Secret Treasure for so long, and there''s no reliable information on whether Hogan actually has the Secret Treasure."

    "Let''s search along the way," Boggy said, "Starting from the ce where we met Jinjian, especially in the cave where we fought with ck Hand''s men. In the rush, Jinjian shouldn''t have been able to hide the key too far."

    Everyone then dispersed to search for the key.

    Since they were unclear about the exact appearance of the key, they pretty much picked up everything they could find on the road, including but not limited to bones, rocks, and even hair.

    However, they still couldn''t open the stone door.

    Two hourster, the members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group were somewhat tired and really couldn''t think of any other ce Jinjian could have hidden the key.

    It wasn''t until Ma Lu had a sudden inspiration, "A person like Jinjian who''s full of lies constantly led us to believe he tossed the key somewhere else, but perhaps he was just deceiving us."

    "But I searched him, more than once, there''s no key on him," Boggy said.

    "Maybe you didn''t search thoroughly enough."

    "What do you mean?"

    "There are ces on a person''s body to hide things other than pockets," Ma Lu said.

    "Such as?"

    "The mouth." While saying this, Ma Lu pried open Jinjian''s mouth, reached in with his fingers, and rummaged around but found nothing.

    "It seems your theory wasn''t urate."

    "No, there''s another ce." Ma Lu''s gaze moved downward, finally resting on Jinjian''s buttocks, and he said to Mai Mai, "Your turn now."

    Hearing this, Mai Mai''splexion changed, "We don''t need to stand on ceremony with each other. Since you, the deputy leader, suggested it, you should be the one to do it."

    "What are you afraid of? Jinjian is already dead."

    "You know I''m not afraid of the body."

    "Alright then, I''ll do it."

    However, Ma Lu evidently had somewhat overestimated his determination and resolve; his fingers awkwardly stopped mid-air.

    "Start searching," Mai Mai covered her eyes, but curiosity led her to peek through her fingers, watching the situation here and urging him on.

    "I''ve thought of another way, maybe we don''t need to take the key out."

    Ma Lu withdrew his fingers, "Just bring Jinjian''s body over there, if the key is inside his body, the stone door should react."

    "Good idea."

    His suggestion visibly rxed everyone''s tensed hearts.

    Seta manipted a Sand Soil Puppet to carry Jinjian''s body to the stone door.

    The noise of something rumbling came from the other side of the stone door before he even had a chance to put the body down, as if some mechanism had been triggered.

    "It actually worked." Mai Mai revealed a look of surprise, and Seta and Sadie also held their breath.

    But the most excited of all was Boggy, because if what Jinjian had said was true, it meant that her deficiency in psychic power might be permanently corrected.

    To unlock a second telekic ability for her was like being reborn.

    As the stone door opened slowly, a dusty room was revealed.

    The room was no more than 4 square meters, and besides a stone cab, it was empty.

    Ma Lu couldn''t wait to open the cab, only to find a few iron tes etched with text and patterns.

    Initially, Ma Lu thought they might be some kind of cultivation secrets, but a nce revealed them to be more like some engineering blueprints.

    The others gathered around by now.

    "These... look a bit like equipment design diagrams," Mai Mai was the first to speak, "They appear moreplex and intricate than the standard equipment avable on the market."

    Marky also thought of something at this time and whispered, "I remember my teacher talking about it in ss, mentioning that about a thousand years ago, our civilization went through a decline and lost a great deal of knowledge."

    "Oh, you mean the Great ckout? The sun disappeared for half a month, all sr devices stopped working, and soon the world was plunged into darkness. End-of-the-world theories raged, chaos broke out everywhere, order waspletely broken, and people vented their despair in all kinds of crazy ways."

    "What, there was such a history?" Ma Lu said.

    "Yeah, the damage caused by the Great ckout still hasn''t beenpletely undone to this day," Mai Mai said, "These blueprints most likelye from lost technology."

    "So these iron tes aren''t the secret treasure?"

    "I''m afraid that''s the case," Mai Mai said, "It seems that Jinjian''s information wasn''t urate, but these iron tes are still very valuable. I know a friend who is a weapons expert with his own equipment factory, and he would likely be interested in these tes."

    "Will he pay a high price for them?"

    Seta was a bit disappointed upon seeing that the room didn''t contain the secret treasure, but her hopes were reignited after listening to Mai Mai''s words.

    "He should. That guy isn''t short on cash, and he''s obsessed with lost technology," Mai Mai nodded, "We might even be able to ask him to make us a few pieces, so our hunting can be easier in the future."

    "That would be great!" Seta was immediately cheered up at the thought of money to be had.

    Ma Lu was also in a good mood since they had managed to procure some 4-star ingredients along the way.

    Only Boggy''s eyes shed with an imperceptible hint of disappointment, but she concealed it well and showed no signs of it.

    After collecting the iron tes, they directed the group to carry the Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpions up, and then brought down the motorcycles left by Jinjian and others, covering the stone b again.

    The sandstorms in the desert were strong, and in just a few dozen minutes, the area would be covered in sand. In a few hours, it would be difficult for outsiders to notice anything out of the ordinary.

    But a deputy leader and two full teams missing, ck Horn would certainly not let it go, the question was how long it would take for Sanrew to pin it on the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group.

    Jinjian was full of lies, but he was right about one thing; killing him would only escte the situation.

    Boggy seemed to realize this too, her expression bing slightly solemn before Ma Lu spoke again.

    "Since we''vee this far, why not finish off Sanrew as well?" Ma Lu said, "...When is he likely to leave the city?"

    "..."

 Chapter 68: Chapter 68 Queens Crisps

    After the thrilling adventure, Ma Lu returned to the couch in his rented apartment with a big bag of freshly harvested meat.

    It must be said, the ingredients this time were somewhat special.

    The previous Two-Headed Hyena, Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream, and Lava Giant Lizard were all quite strange, but they were essentially still within the category of animals.

    The Spiked Whip Spider Queen he got this time felt closer to insects, although strictly speaking, spiders are not insects.

    Because in the natural sciences, the definition of an insect includes having a head, thorax, and abdomen, six legs, and a pair of wings.

    Spiders, on the other hand, have a fused head and thorax, as well as eight legs but no wings, hence they are excluded from the ss Insecta.

    But in terms of taste, the two are actually quite simr.

    Ma Lu had heard that there is a tradition of eating spiders in Southeast Asia, and simr dishes exist in Yunnan too.

    There, ethnic minorities would deep-fry the Lumped Sac Ground Spider and Striped Golden Spider, and barbecue the Lumped Sac Ground Spider. It was said that the vor was quite good.

    Moreover, spiders or insects are high in protein content. Since they are far removed from mammals, the viruses they carry are unlikely to infect each other, making them really high-quality, healthy food.

    It''s just that most people still find it difficult to ept psychologically.

    Therefore, Ma Lu first dismissed some dishes that looked too visually shocking.

    Eventually, pointing to a dish named "Queen''s Crisps," he asked, "What is this?"

    "If you''re asking about the texture, it''s probably somewhere between sweet and sour pork and potato chips," was the reply.

    "Oh, that sounds quite nice, and it has a Deliciousness Index of ¡ï¡ï¡î, the same as Giant Lizard Grilled Sausage. Can you make one for me to try first?"

    The ingredients needed for Queen''s Crisps were not many, and ever since he started his food stall, Old Wang had umted a variety of food ingredients and condiments at home. Everything needed for a trial was readily avable.

    So, Old Wang donned his apron and took the piece of Tailless Scorpion Leg Meat from Ma Lu, heading straight into the kitchen.

    He first cut the Tailless Scorpion Leg Meat into 3cm thick slices and coated them with potato starch.

    Having lived with Old Wang for so long, Ma Lu had seen a lot of ingredients processed, and although he had never cooked himself, he had gradually be familiar with some basic cooking processes. Watching him work, Ma Lu asked curiously,

    "Don''t we need to remove the gamey taste from this meat first?"

    "No need,pared to mammals, spiders and insects have almost no gamey odor," Old Wang replied.

    As he spoke, Old Wang took up a rolling pin and started pounding the starch-coated meat slices. He used both hands at a rapid pace, and after about a minute, the meat slice had be almost asrge as the cutting board.

    At the same time, its thickness became extremely thin, about 1 millimeter, almost as thin as a sheet of paper.

    The starch molecules, after being pounded, embedded themselves into the spider meat fibers, with the final ratio of starch to meat settling at 2:8.

    Old Wang then cut the thin meat sheet into small pieces with a kitchen knife and started heating up the pan.

    He poured some soybean oil into it, waiting until the oil temperature reached one hundred degrees before adding the meat slices into the pan.

    Before long, the surface of the meat slices turned a slight golden color, and Old Wang quickly scooped them out to drain the oil.

    He then continued frying over low heat for a second time. When the meat was taken out again, the golden color on its surface had deepened, making them look simr to potato chips in appearance.

    Ma Lu took a piece and put it into his mouth. The bite was indeed crispy and savory, and since it was made of meat, it tasted even more delectable than regr chips.

    Old Wang was right; spider meat had hardly any gamey smellpared to the previous animal meats, and its high protein content made it sizzle with vor, like chewing on an egg yolk.

    Ma Lu originally just wanted to try a piece, but once he started, he found he couldn''t stop eating.

    Afterward, Old Wang chopped onions, tomatoes, green peppers, and a handful oftro, mixed them together, drizzled lime juice over them, added a small amount of salt, and made a fresh dipping sauce, which he poured over the Queen''s Crisps, making them even more refreshing and ptable.

    Ma Lu polished off arge te in less than 3 minutes.

    Then, wiping his mouth and still feeling unsatisfied, he said, "Let''s just make this one, the portion can be a bit smaller. This time the protein content is high, the price needs to go up. Let''s set it at... 18 per serving. I''ll go buy the ingredients right now."

    "Okay."

    Ma Lu went to the market to stock up, and unexpectedly, someone recognized him while he was parking.

    A granny carrying two bundles of green onions and a bag of pork ribs walked past him, then suddenly stopped, pointed at him excitedly, and said.

    "It''s you,d, I know you, your sausages can breathe fire! I''ve seen them on TikTok!"

    "Uh..."

    The granny then took out her phone, ready to scan a code, "Perfect, let me try one of your sausages."

    "Ah, sorry, if you''ve seen our videos, you should know that someone else is responsible for the cooking," Ma Lu said, "Moreover, we''re not open for business right now."

    "What are you talking about, roadside stalls don''t have set business hours. As soon as you park, you can start cooking. Come on, I haven''t had my breakfast yet," the granny persisted.

    "Really, I don''t even have the ingredients right now," Ma Lu spread his hands.

    "This is a farmer''s market,d. Can''t you just buy whatever you''re missing?" the granny retorted, "Here''s what we''ll do, give me a discount, and I''ll shoot a video to promote you online."

    "No need, no need, we''ve got enough publicity as it is. Actually, I''ve started to feel it''s a bit too much."

    Ma Lu wasn''t bragging; it was a heartfelt statement.

    In the inte era, the speed of spread for a hot topic can often be exponential.

    Ma Lu initially just wanted to use the Lava Giant Lizard Grilled Sausage''s me effects to break into the market, to keep the unruly underssmen obediently spending their money.

    College students might find it hard to ept a grilled sausage priced at 16, but a fire-breathing grilled sausage, like a cat that can do a backflip, was endowed with a significance that transcended its identity.

    ording to iplete statistics from Shen Yue, ever since the sale of the fire-breathing grilled sausages, the belle of the ssical Literature Society, Little Poetry, had received over eighty orders of the volcanic grilled sausage, and half of them were even sent anonymously.

    Little Poetry couldn''t find anyone to return them to, and as a result, Shen Yue also had her fill of grilled sausages over the past week, burping up the taste of grilled sausages.

    And these were just the lovelorn ones; those couples in the throes of passionate love were even less resistant to such trendy knick-knacks.

    Can''t make it to Greece to see the Aegean Sea? Can''t get to West Gate to buy volcanic sausages?

    If you love her, just buy it!

    As a result, not only did the volcanic grilled sausage be popr inside Aerospace University but it also quickly spread outside the campus.

    The most popr video broke 200,000 likes and had 120,000 shares, making its way onto the local trending list, sandwiched between "Man buys lottery for 100k and wins 200 million" and "Federal Reserve hikes interest rates again."

    Then a local food blogger with 5 million followers came to explore the stall, made a video, and posted it on several tforms.

    His team''s filming and editing techniques were clearly more mature, and the arrangement was more entertaining; they knew how to maximize the audience''s attention. Plus, with the traffic that the big blogger himself brought in, the release of the video thrust the poprity of the Lava Giant Lizard Grilled Sausage up another notch.

    Since then, Ma Lu hadn''t worried about attracting customers again, but at the same time, he began to experience some of the side effects of fame.

 Chapter 69: Chapter 69 Too Hardcore

    In the live stream, a tall beauty dressed in a white silk JK uniform was passionately dancing, her long legs upying nearly half of the screen.

    This drew cheers from a crowd of big brothers who were continuously sending rewards, though only a few IDs noticed the background figures of Ma Lu and Old Wang, whose necks were bing as stretched as giraffes''.

    To her right, three inte-famous frogs were locked in battle with a Snow King, both sides fighting so fiercely that one frog''s head had been knocked askew by 180 degrees.

    On the other side of their brawl, a bare-chested big brother was power chugging Erguotou liquor, with 3 empty 750-ml bottles already at his feet.

    After finishing a bottle, he immediately opened another, generously proving its authenticity by pouring some on a piece of paper and lighting it with a lighter before tilting his head back to pour it down his throat.

    Five steps away, a girl who looked no more than 90 pounds was retching at the curb, having just spent 540 yuan on 30 packets of Queen''s Crisps and devoured them all in one go on camera.

    At the other end of the street, two spirited young men with dyed hair were simultaneously busting out some ghost dance moves and rapping.

    "Fire! Fire! Fire! Ho-ho-ho-ho! These grilled sausages, man, they spit fire! It''s fire, fire, fire, fire, not ho-ho-ho-ho! Yeah man!"

    Shen Yue had pulled up a chair from somewhere, sitting to the side, cracking sunflower seeds and watching everything with gusto.

    Ma Lu nced at her, "Aren''t you supposed to be in ss?"

    "Chemical engineering principles aren''t as fun as this," Shen Yue retorted, spitting seed shells into a little trash can Ma Lu had brought.

    "Damn, one of the frog''s kids got stolen, hahaha, go on, the three of you, yeah, that''s it, ride him!"

    Shen Yue cracked another seed, "Is it just me or do all the demons and monsters in this city seem to have converged here?"

    "Because the traffic here is busy now," Ma Lu said.

    Ma Lu reached into Shen Yue''s bag and grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds for himself. He didn''t need to help with the making of Queen''s Crisps, and business at The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall was booming so much that they no longer needed to draw in customers, leaving him with free time to join Shen Yue in cracking seeds.

    "Inte celebrities are born from traffic and naturally chase after it, whether it''s drinking or making a fool of themselves, as long as they''re not left behind by the traffic flow."

    As Ma Lu spoke, he noticed a figure that had been standing at the edge of the snack stall for a long time.

    It was a girl, about eighteen or neen years old, but not a student from Aerospace University, wearing a cheap cosy outfit.

    Probably to make herself look more mature, she had also applied makeup, but the quality was quite poor, with too much foundation, poorly applied eyeshadow, overly thick eyeliner, and a lipstick shade that was too dark.

    If her natural looks scored a seven, after applying that makeup, she''d have dropped down to a five.

    Noticing her hesitation for almost ten minutes, Ma Lu took the initiative and called out, "Rin Tosaka."

    The girl didn''t immediately realize Ma Lu was calling her and looked back, seeing no one respond, she turned her head towards Ma Lu again.

    "Yes, you."

    Upon hearing this, the girl instinctively took a few steps back and quickly apologized, "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to stand here and get in the way of your business, I''ll leave right now."

    "You''vee all this way, so you''re just going to leave without streaming?" Ma Lu pointed at the selfie stick tripod in the girl''s hand, "You''re a streamer, right?"

    "Oh." The girl felt somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this, standing still, unsure whether to stay or go.

    "What talents do you have?" Shen Yue asked with her legs crossed, like a coach from The Voice of China.

    "Then, then I''ll dance." The girl was very nervous, as if she was an amateuring to an audition.

    "Okay."

    She fumbled to start the music on her phone and then began to move to the rhythm, dancing what seemed to be a known otaku dance called "Happy Synthesizer."

    Let''s not even mention that "Happy Synthesizer" was popr ten years ago; her dance was also quite poor, like someone who had just learned it a couple of days ago, always half a beat behind and not very precise with the moves.

    After the song finished, Shen Yue frowned and asked Ma Lu, "Do you want to go first or should I?"

    "You go ahead."

    "Aplete mess," Shen Yuemented ruthlessly. "First, your makeup is terribly done, you look very countrified, hmm, although some bosses might like a country girl vibe, but then again you dressed up as Rin Tosaka. Right, why Rin Tosaka, are you a Moon Chaser?"

    "I don''t know what a Moon Chaser is, nor do I know who Rin Tosaka is," the girl said weakly. "It''s mainly because this outfit was cheap, only 50 yuan. The shopkeeper said young people like it."

    "Young people are short on money," Shen Yue shook her head upon hearing this. "It''s actually the middle-aged men who are the real deal, willing to send you gifts, but you need to know how to sweet-talk them, act coy, satisfy their vanity and protectiveness, and console them when they''re feeling down.

    "There''s also a knack to asking for gifts. Many people look down on live streamers, thinking anyone can do it, but how to get those men to spend money without making them lose face is a question as profound as advanced mathematics.

    "Of course, if you feel ufortable talking to men who are the same age as your father, and you really want to make money from young people, it''s not impossible. Otakus are also quite willing to spend money, but they have expectations regarding the uracy of your cosy.

    "Your outfit is too amateurish, and additionaly, you need to be able to discuss their favorite anime and games. Do you have the knowledge for that? Can you distinguish between Ultraman Ace and Ultraman Taro? Do you know how to team up Nel and what weapons and relics to choose for her? If your top spender is an original fan and the second top spender is a ship fan, and they start arguing, do you know how to mediate while making some extra money on the side?"

    Without waiting for the girl to reply, Shen Yue held up a second finger. "Secondly, forget it, I''ll just tell you what your biggest problem is. Your dance is bad, the clothes are wrong, but those are just details. Not even grasping the basics is disrespectful to this trade.

    "Did you have absolutely no dance background before? Why are basic jazz dance moves like the U-shape hip swing so stiff, wiping the ''ss'' with more professionalism than a cleaningdy, waist and hips like they''re welded together, without any allure at all, way too hardcore."

    Shen Yue took a breath after her critique, and then grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, turning to Ma Lu. "Do you have anything to add?"

    "You forgot to start the live stream." Ma Lu pointed to the girl''s phone and kindly reminded her. "You just danced for nothing."

    "I''m sorry, I''m so sorry." The girl''s cheeks heated up, looking as if she was about to cry. "I... I''ll practice more when I get back."

    "Or you could consider joining a ss," Shen Yue suggested.

    "I, I used to work as a production operator at an electronics factory, but offended the line manager, so now I''m trying to make it as a live streamer. I''m saving up money to study to be a barista, I want to be a barista." The girl said while sniffling.

    The weather was already getting cool, and the 50-yuan Rin Tosaka outfit was obviously not very warm.

    Ma Lu said, "If you want to stream, then stream. There are already many people streaming here, one more won''t make a difference. And this road isn''t my private property, you don''t have to care about my attitude."

    The girl quickly waved her hands, "I came to ride on your poprity, so I need your permission," as she spoke, she bowed deeply three times, "Thank you, boss, thank you, madam boss, I will work hard from now on."

    "I''m not the madam boss," Shen Yue said while picking her nose, "I''m just a concerned bystander who came to watch the fun. You... sigh, nevermind, I''ll find someone to teach you how to do makeup tomorrow."

 Chapter 70: Chapter 70 Visit

    17:05, Ma Lu sold thest pack of Queen''s Crisps and went home with Old Wang after closing up shop.

    Because he had upgraded the Traveler''s Bracelet by two levels, the hunting trip took two hours longer than usual, and he didn''t get home until almost 7 a.m.

    Therefore, setting up their stall was pushed back ordingly, and they didn''t head out until the afternoon¡ªpreparing only 800 portions.

    At the end of the day, they took in a total of 14,400 yuan, with costs amounting to 415.8 yuan, leaving a profit of 13,984.2 yuan¡ªit was truly a sizable daily ie.

    Once they increased their stock in the future, that number was expected to rise significantly.

    Ma Lu felt that at this rate, it wouldn''t be long before he could start looking at cars.

    But it wasn''t enough. Ma Lu admitted to himself that he was a very vulgar person, filled with all kinds of worldly desires.

    Just the other day, while browsing Bilibili, he saw a foreign content creator showing off his 90-square-meter private gaming room, which suddenly made his newly bought 85-inch TV seem less appealing.

    Wouldn''t he need to get one for himself?!

    And a gym, swimming pool, physiotherapist... Although Ma Lu didn''t even have a house yet, his daring to dream knew no bounds.

    If people don''t have dreams, what makes them any different from salted fish?!

    Thus, the project of opening a shop had to continue. With a shop, they could sell at higher prices and utilize food delivery tforms like Meituan and Ele.me to reach arger surrounding area.

    With that in mind, after packing up for the day, Ma Lu detoured to Fragrant Garden East Road once again.

    This was his fourth visit to Jin Xin Plumbing and Hardware Department Store, and this time, the hardware store was finally open.

    Ma Lu found a spot to park his tricycle and then entered the store with Old Wang.

    The interior was small, around 15 square meters, filled to the brim with outlets, light bulbs, curtain tracks, wood panels, door locks, and an assortment of screws, tools, and protective gear, leaving barely any space to walk.

    It looked no different from any other hardware store, except that it was void of people.

    The owner must have returned but was somewhere else at the moment.

    Ma Lu wasn''t in a hurry; the fact that the door wasn''t locked meant that the owner shouldn''t be gone for long.

    Sure enough, a figure appeared at the store''s entrance shortly afterward.

    Ma Lu poked his head out and saw it was a little girl, a bit over ten years old.

    "Big brother," the little girl said, "do you sell expansion screws here? My dad needs them urgently."

    Ma Lu was about to say he wasn''t the owner, but upon recalling that he had seen expansion screws on a shelf, he changed his reply to, "What size does your dad need, and how many?"

    "M8*40, four of them."

    Ma Lu rummaged through a box of screws while he quickly checked the prices online, and ended up charging the little girl four yuan.

    About three minutes after the girl left, a burly man over 1.9 meters tall, wearing sunsses, dressed in a blue jumpsuit with suspenders, carrying an angle grinder and a half-bag of leak stopper, and with a stubbly beard, walked in.

    "Boss?"

    The burly man nodded, "What do you need?"

    "Oh, it was a pigeon that rmended wee to you," Ma Lu extended his hand.

    The air in the shop froze for a few seconds.

    Since the burly man was wearing sunsses, Ma Lu couldn''t see the expression behind them, but if it were an ordinary person, they might think he had a screw loose after hearing what he just said.

    Fortunately, the muscr man didn''t inquire about his mental state, but instead shook hands with him, and then said, "How should I address you two?"

    "Ma Lu." Ma Lu pointed to himself, then to Old Wang, "Old Wang."

    The muscr man sniffled twice, first nced at Old Wang, "Mechanical life?" Then he looked at Ma Lu, "Earthling? Thisbination is quite rare, that pigeon actually let youe here."

    "Because we''re preparing to start a restaurant together, he said you could help us. Oh right, a little girl came by earlier to buy some expansion screws in a hurry, you weren''t in the store at the time, so I helped you take the money."

    Ma Lu pointed to the four coins on the counter.

    The muscr man nced at the money, "How many did she buy?"

    "Four."

    "You charged too much, two coins would have been enough. In this kind of neighborhood store, reputation is the most important. I''ll go and return it to her, and we''ll talk more when I get back." The muscr man picked up two coins and headed out.

    "Uh, do you want me to describe what she looked like first, or maybe look at the surveince camera?"

    "No need, her scent hasn''t dissipated yet, I know who she is." The muscr man had barely finished speaking when he left the store.

    Five minutester he returned, and the coins in his hand had already vanished.

    "You found her."

    "Yeah. I don''t think I''ve introduced myself yet; recently, I''ve gone by Yan Wu, or if you find that troublesome, you can simply call me boss, as others who can''t be bothered to remember my name do." Stay connected through m-v l|e-NovelBin

    "Uh, do you change your name often?"

    "Not really that often by Earthling standards, I usually change it once every hundred and twenty years or so, any longer would be somewhat unscientific."

    "Huh?"

    Ma Lu looked at Yan Wu, who didn''t seem to be joking, so he asked, "May I be so bold as to ask how old you are now?"

    "I actually don''t quite remember, I came to this over two thousand years ago." Yan Wu said, "I remember at that time you were in the Western Han Dynasty, wasn''t it, with the emperor called what, Liu Xie?"

    To prove his point, Yan Wu bent down and rummaged through his pile of spare parts and tools for a while, finally finding a ss picture frame, which he handed to Ma Lu.

    Inside was an old, yellowed photograph.

    "Look, this is the imperial pce."

    Ma Lu gasped with surprise, "They had photographs during the Western Han Dynasty?"

    "No, no, not that far back, this was from the 29th year of the Guangxu era. I was ordered to go to the Forbidden City to help with some plumbing." Yan Wu pointed to a burly man with a rake in the photo, "This is me."

    After saying that, he pointed to a side, where avishly dressed, towering woman with a prominent hairstyle, standing amidst a group of pce maids, looked rather imposing, "This is from the Yehenara n."

    Ma Lu took a sharp breath, "So you''ve been alive for over two thousand years, and you''ve always worked in hardware... Could you possibly be the legendary Hardware Immortal?"

    "No, no, I''m not an immortal; just a werewolf." Yan Wu shed a grin.

    As Yan Wu uttered these words, the temperature in the hardware store seemed to drop a few degrees.

    "Ah, you don''t have to worry; I don''t transform except on nights of the full moon, and there''s no difference between me and ordinary people. Moreover, I usually stay calm at home watching thetest movies and soldering tinte to pass the time during the full moon nights."

    "What do you usually eat?"

    "I eat whatever you eat."

    Yan Wu scratched his beard, "But now that you mention it, it''s been a really long time since I''ve had any delicacies. This area isn''t within the boundaries of The Grand Alliance, so it''s hard to get quality ingredients, and even if I did get them, there''s no one that can cook it properly; it would just be a waste. Ah, in the end, it''s because there''s no Cosmic Chef around."

 Chapter 71 Desktop Farm (Please Subscribe)

    "Are Cosmic Chefs very rare?"

    "Of course, just like with metalworking, cooking requires both innate talent and diligence. Moreover, the culinary path is even more difficult to pursue than the practice of metalworking, and those without great perseverance don''t even have the courage to start on this path," Yan Wu said. "In the entire Multiverse, the number of people who can be Cosmic Chefs is very few."

    Ma Lu turned to look at Old Wang, "Is that so?"

    "I don''t know," Old Wang shook his head, "Since my senses recovered, those recipes have been in my sector."

    At this moment, Yan Wu seemed to think of something as well, stepping half a step closer to Ma Lu, his towering figure blocking out the sunlight.

    "That pigeon has always been very stodgy, yet it actually revealed its identity in front of an Earthling and even told you my address. What do you have that it couldn''t refuse?"

    "Oh, we n to open a restaurant."

    "And then?"

    "A restaurant with a Cosmic Chef."

    Yan Wu''s eyes suddenly lit up, "Really?"

    "Really," said Ma Lu. "The two of us are partnering up. I''ll procure ingredients from other dimensions, and Old Wang will be in charge of cooking. But there are still some troubles we haven''t resolved to get the restaurant up and running. The city manager said we coulde to you for help."

    "Then you''vee to the right ce."

    Yan Wu wiped his hands on his overalls before grasping a wrench from the very top shelf and turned it around.

    Readtest chapters at m_v-l''e-NovelBin

    The next moment, Ma Lu felt as if the world had flipped upside down.

    When he came back to his senses, he was still standing in the hardware store, but the items on the shelves hadpletely changed.

    They had turned from ordinary hardware into all sorts of weird and wonderful goods.

    There were minuscule ck holes contained in empty liquor bottles, green crystals flickering with strange light, iron helmets bristling with antennas, biscuit boxes covered with indecipherable symbols, from which strange whimpering sounds asionally emerged...

    A wooden man with both hands and feet kept sighing while moving an iron bucket from one end of the store to the other, then back again, repeating this futile task over and over.

    Ma Lu also spotted an exquisitely made Lego library model on the second shelf and was about to touch it when Yan Wu stopped him.

    "Don''t touch, that''s the Tiny ck Room Library, a very malicious High-Dimensional Artifact. If you touch it, you will be sucked inside, forced to study a very rare intersternguage for an entire week before being released, and the problem is that it''s so rare even the trantors don''t have it. In the whole Multiverse, it''s said that only three people still speak thatnguage, so even if you learn it, you''ll likely never have a chance to use it in your lifetime."

    "That malicious?"

    Ma Lu quickly retracted his hand at this and then turned to look at the Werewolf, "So, are you an Artisan?"

    "You know about Artisans?" Yan Wu shook his head, "I''m not an Artisan. Those guys all gather at Creation Technology. Artisans outside are even rarer than Cosmic Chefs and even more reclusive in personality.

    "Unless you have a special way to contact them, even if they live right next door, they won''t give you the time of day, let alone considering this dimension''s geographical location is off the beaten path..."

    "I''m just a hardware store owner who also dabbles in interster smuggling, or you could say, scavenging."

    Yan Wu spoke the truth, but Ma Lu knew there actually was an Artisan in this dimension;

    Even when Old Wang got in touch with him, he only sent Number 6 over; the guy himself never showed his face. It looked like he didn''t have any contact with visitors from different dimensions normally, no wonder Yan Wu and the others didn''t know he existed.

    "What do you mean by ''picking up trash''?" Ma Lu asked again.

    "Oh, most of the high-dimensional artifacts here are second-hand ones I''ve scavenged, out of warranty, some with minor issues, and some are simply trial works by novice artisans."

    Yan Wu pointed to the wooden figure, "Take this thing for example. The artisan who made it originally wanted to create an assistant, but it turned out this creation could only move stuff around, and once it starts, it can''t stop. If it''s not moving something, it feels ufortable all over.

    "Not to mention, while moving objects, it likes to sigh a lot, making it seem as if it''s being exploited by someone, affecting the mood of those who work with it."

    As Yan Wu spoke, the wooden figure walked past Ma Lu again with the metal bucket, leaving behind a trail of profound sighs.

    "Right, and that Tiny ck Room Library you almost bumped into earlier, same story. Its creator intended it to be a quiet ce for studying, but something went wrong, and now users are forced to learn nearly extinct intersternguages inside."

    "Of course, besides these duds, I''ve got plenty of useful high-dimensional artifacts here. They''re all second-hand and unfixable if broken, but the quality of Creation Technology''s products is quite good. Even out of warranty, they generally don''t break under normal circumstances."

    As Yan Wu talked, he reached behind the counter, rummaged around, and found an old-fashioned five-jiao coin to toss to Ma Lu.

    "You should find this useful."

    "What''s this?"

    "A Phase Shifter, it does the same thing as my wrench, providing ess to a mirror space."

    Yan Wu continued, "When using it, you first need to anchor the target space. Then, by flipping this coin over, you can freely switch between the two spaces."

    "Oh oh oh oh, this is indeed something we urgently need; this way we don''t have to worry about inspections anymore," Ma Lu received the five-jiao coin and said joyfully.

    "And you guys could probably use this too," Yan Wu took down a Beaver Copper Statue from the shelf.

    "This high-dimensional artifact is called ''This is Very Beaver,'' and its capabilities are somewhat simr to those of a city manager''s. It affects a small area, making anything that happens within it seem perfectly reasonable to those who are there."

    "However, there''s a limitation on its use. It can only be used three times a month, half an hour each time."

    "Ha... Do artisans also enjoy puns?"

    "That''s just a coincidence. I remember there are beaver species in the Multiverse with strong psychic abilities."

    "I see."

    "Ah, I almost forgot," Yan Wu suddenly pped his forehead, "I picked up a rare item on myst supply run, and it just happens to be perfect for you guys, but it''s still in my truck. Wait here a moment."

    After saying that, Yan Wu flipped his wrench again, the world turned over once more, and the three of them returned to the normal hardware store. Yan Wu stepped outside, opened the trunk of his Wuling Hongguang van, and dragged out arge cardboard box.

    Carrying the heavy-looking box back into the shop, Yan Wu set it down.

    Opening the box, inside was actually a miniaturendscape aquarium.

    And inside, it was divided into several smallpartments, from deserts to rainforests, grasnds,kes, snowy terrains¡­ aplete range ofndscapes and terrains.

    "What''s this?"

    "A Desktop Ranch." Yan Wu grinned.

 Chapter 72: Chapter 72 We Dont Have Money (Please Subscribe for the First Time)

    "A desktop breeding farm?"

    As the name implies, it''s a breeding farm that can be ced on a desktop. It was developed to solve the problems of traditional farms taking up too much space, taking a long time for breeding, and having high entry barriers.

    It''s said to use thetest technology in dimensions and biology; I don''t know the specifics, but I do know it contains aplete ecosystem. As long as you don''t exceed the natural environment''s capacity limit, you don''t need to feed it, and it can also speed up growth. Even aplete novice in breeding can use it with ease.

    Yan Wu patted thendscape tank, "However, due to the high manufacturing costs, Creation Technology only produced 99 units. The one I have is technically a defective product, with only the volcanic ecosystem operational, and the breeding limit is at 1,000 pounds."

    Saying this, Yan Wu also seemed a bit embarrassed, scratching his beard-covered chin.

    "There aren''t many ingredients that can be bred in a volcano, and the limit of 1,000 pounds is a bit low. But if it weren''t for its limited usefulness, a great item like this wouldn''t have ended up with a junk dealer in such a remote ce like me."

    Without betraying any emotion, Ma Lu said, "That phase shifter there, this is very ''river beaver,'' and can I have this defective desktop breeding farm as well?"

    "Sure, the phase shifter for 60,000 Star Currency, this ''river beaver'' for 80,000, and my purchasing price for the desktop breeding farm is 140,000. I won''t make a profit off you, so I''ll sell it for 140,000. That''s a total of 280,000 Star Currency."

    "Ah?"

    "The price isn''t expensive. Although I deal in secondhand and defective goods, I basically earn just about 10% profit for my trouble."

    Yan Wu exined, "The main reason is that there are no official routes here, only smuggling, so the freight is quite expensive."

    "No, I was mainly wondering what Star Currency is?"

    "......"

    "You don''t have Star Currency?" Yan Wu frowned, "Star Currency is the official currency of The Grand Alliance."

    "I''m just a native Earthling who has recentlye into contact with these... multiverse matters." Ma Lu looked hopefully towards Old Wang, who was off to the side.

    However, Old Wang said, "I also don''t have Star Currency."

    "Give us one minute."

    Ma Lu pulled Old Wang aside and spoke in a low voice, "Didn''t you bring a wallet or bank card when you came here?"

    "Star Currency is a special digital currency; you need to have an electronic wallet and a key toplete payment."

    A premonition of ill fortune rose in Ma Lu''s heart, "Your wallet and key wouldn''t happen to both be in the damaged sector, would they?"

    Old Wang nodded, then said, "The desktop breeding farm is very useful to us; we must obtain it, although it''s severely damaged now. But with Number 6..."

    Ma Lu ced his hand over his mouth, "I know, I know. You can''t lie and are not suited for doing business. Let me handle the rest."

    "But we don''t have any money."

    "No problem, I''ve had a revtion recently. The highest form of trading is to ''get something for nothing,'' just don''t say anythingter on."

    After saying this, Ma Lu returned to face Yan Wu.

    The werewolf seemed to still have patience, "How did your discussion go? Have you figured out where to get the money?"

    Ma Lu nodded, "We are indeed a bit tight on funds right now, so we were wondering if we could borrow some from you, boss?"

    The werewolf''s expression turned strange. "You want to borrow money from me to buy my goods?"

    "My partner is a Cosmic Chef, and once the restaurant opens up, we will have a way to make money. We can serve clients from different dimensions and earn Star Currency from them, and then we''ll be able to pay you back."

    Yan Wu shook his head, "In the fourth year of Jinglong, Li Chongmao was still the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, but seventeen dayster he ceded the throne to Prince Li Dan. Who can be certain about the future? Although this dimension indeedcks Cosmic Chefs, 280,000 is not a small amount. It''s our first time meeting; it''s impossible for me to lend to you just like that."

    Ma Lu was ashamed; as a legitimate descendant of the Yan and Huang emperors, he didn''t even know who Li Chongmao and Li Dan were and had to look them up on his phone; yet, this werewolf could easily call out their names, and might have even met them before.

    But Ma Lu was not in a hurry when he was refused; he promptly came up with another n, "If you''re worried about not getting the money back, we can offer coteral."

    Yan Wu''s expression softened a bit at this suggestion, "Do you have something worth 280,000 with you for coteral?"

    "Well, what about the three high-dimensional artifacts we''re buying from you?" Ma Lu cleared his throat, "You yourself deal in secondhand goods, so if you really take them back, you''d probably have an easier time selling them again."

    ???

    Seeing Yan Wu silent, Ma Lu quickly added, "Don''t worry, I can assure you that I won''t damage those three high-dimensional artifacts. If we can''t pay back the money and you take the goods, it definitely won''t affect their resale. Plus, once the restaurant opens, you''ll be our permanent VIP, with a 30% discount on all dishes."

    Yan Wu raised an eyebrow, "40% discount, and besides that, you''ll need to prove you have the capacity to repay."

    "How do we prove it?"

    "You need to make a dish that impresses me enough."

    Yan Wu grinned, "Just so you know, even though it''s been over two thousand years since I''ve had any delicacies, and I''m not usually picky, satisfying me won''t be easy. You''ll need toe up with something better than Queen''s Crisps. If you can do it, I''ll agree to the trade you proposed."

    "Okay."

    Ma Lu and Old Wang exchanged looks and nodded in agreement.

    It turns out the werewolf''s nose was really sharp - he could even smell the Queen''s Crisps residue on them.

    "Good. I''ll reserve those three high-dimensional artifacts for you, and won''t sell them to other customers for now, but you''d better not make me wait too long."

    After finishing his statement, the hardware store owner gestured with his hand, indicating the two could leave.

    Yan Wu turned out to be easier to talk to than Ma Lu had expected. If he hadn''t agreed to the n to use my own items as coteral, Ma Lu had prepared a third n.

    It was to pay off the 280,000 Star Currency by helping Yan Wu repair high-dimensional artifacts. But that would surely have revealed Number 6''s existence, and it would be hard for him toe back to Jin Xin to grab bargains like the desktop breeding farm again.

    In fact, after talking with Yan Wu, Ma Lu realized the value of Number 6 was even greater than he thought.

    As long as the reclusive Artisan stays hidden, Number 6 remains the only entity in this cosmic dimension capable of upgrading and repairing high-dimensional artifacts.

    Although Yan Wu seemed like a decent guy, he was still a werewolf after all, and couldn''t be guaranteed not to get any ideas. Adhering to the principle that one must always guard against others, Ma Lu considered this trading method as ast resort.

    If he could avoid using it, he would.

    But this meant they had to produce a dish that could move Yan Wu.

 Chapter 73: Chapter 73 He Xiaoqian

    "The Deliciousness Index of Queen''s Crisp ¡ï¡ï¡î, even that werewolf turns his nose up at them, which means to impress him, it''s got to be at least ¡ï¡ï¡ï to start.

    "No, not right, that guy has been on Earth for over two thousand years and has tried all the delicacies here. Plus, he must have had his share of food from other dimensions beforeing here. Hmm, he might even have tasted the Cosmic Chef''s cooking. I''m afraid it will take dishes rated ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï or above to satisfy him."

    Ma Lu sat on the sofa, analyzed as he snacked on Queen''s Crisps.

    "Currently, the highest-level dish we can make is ¡ï¡ï¡ï, and there''s a 25% chance of earning an extra ¡î after your Chef level rises to 2, so that''s ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡î. We''re still half a star short, and most likely it''s not going to work."

    "We need to get higher-level ingredients. How about 5-star ingredients? If we can hunt down 5-star ingredients, there should be no problem, right?"

    Old Wang nodded, "If I had 5-star ingredients, I could indeed try my hand at a ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï recipe."

    "Good, let''s aim for 5-star ingredients in our next hunt."

    Ma Lu decided firmly, "As long as we get the Phase Shifter and this High-Dimensional Artifact, we can open our shop. Also, why did you insist on getting the Tabletop Farm before?"

    "Yan Wu was right, it''s perfect for us. With it, we can cultivate ingredients, and your work will be much easier from now on."

    "But I remember the Collection Bag can''t hold living things," said Ma Lu, "I tried to put some Honey Lizard eggs in it before, but it failed. Or do you n to use that thing to raise ordinary chickens, ducks, pigs, and cows?"

    "That''s because your Collection Bag isn''t high enough level," Old Wang replied. "Once it upgrades to Level 6, it can unlock that feature."

    "Level 6?" After some calctions, Ma Lu realized that upgrading the Collection Bag to level 6 would cost about 240,000, which wasn''t a small sum. Even with his current earning speed, it would take more than two weeks.

    Looking at it that way... well, it wasn''t too slow.

    Earning over ten thousand a day was actually terrifying. It was only because he had many ces to spend money that he always felt stretched thin, but in reality, his earning speed had already surpassed that of an Alibaba P9.

    And this was just the beginning. Ma Lu felt there was still a lot of room for improvement.

    ......

    A week flew by quickly, and since the sale of Volcano Grilled Sausages had stopped, The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall''s poprity had decreased a lot.

    Theizens'' attention was soon drawn to "Man obsessed with alchemy steals car bottom tes 6 times" and "Woman buys 5 boxes of cockroaches to release them in themunity garden."

    That''s the Inte for you, always full of new trends, and no one can stay in the spotlight forever.

    Fortunately, this wave had already made The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall famous, and with its inherently great taste, there was no worry about sales even when introducing new products.

    And with the reduced traffic, the riff-raffs also decreased.

    The girl who cosyed Rin Tosaka was still around, finding a spot next to the stall that didn''t interfere with Ma Lu''s business or other people''s passage to livestream her dancing.

    Since she wasn''t much of a talker, she didn''t say much and just focused on dancing hard. She could go on for three or four hours straight, hardly taking any breaks, just drinking a few sips of water. Her stamina was incredible.

    At the end of a live broadcast, her hair was stuck to her forehead with sweat.

    Shen Yue didn''t go back on her word; the next day she really did bring a teacher to teach her makeup. After the makeover, Shen Yue, who had been somewhat careless, suddenly lit up, handing over the mirror.

    "Look, what do you think?"

    The girl was stunned, feeling the reflection in the mirror a bit unfamiliar, hesitating, she said, "This look¡­ isn''t it too fake?"

    "Fake what? You haven''t seen other streamers max out their face slimming and smooth out their skin so much they obliterate the main road, have you? You''re just wearing some makeup, what about it?"

    "But I still need to danceter, won''t all this makeup smear if you put on so much?"

    "Don''t worry, I used waterproof eyeliner and mascara for you, and I also sprayed some setting spray on you. It''llst until you finish your stream."

    The girl helping with the makeup encouraged her, "You have a good base, be a bit more confident."

    Shen Yue, who was nearby, had already taken out her phone and, with a cheeky grin, leaned in. "Sister, sister, what''s your name, and where are you from? Let''s add each other on WeChat."

    "He Xiaoqian, my hometown is in Huize."

    He Xiaoqian also took out her Z6X, added Shen Yue and then added the girl who did her makeup, thanking them once more before timidly saying.

    "How much do I owe you? I can transfer it to you via Alipay."

    She had been sneakily ncing at the makeup products to estimate the cost, only to find brands like NARS, Shu Uemura, and HR that she didn''t recognize, unsure if the money left in her Alipay was enough.

    The girlughed upon hearing this, "No need, the makeup set is also a gift for you. Just apply it as I''ve taught you in the future."

    Seeing that He Xiaoqian wanted to say more, Shen Yue directly interrupted her, "If Han Feifei wants to give it to you, just ept it. She''s the richest girl in our academy, with a monthly allowance of 50,000, she doesn''t care for our poor folks'' money."

    "That''s what you say, but you still have to pay back the money you borrowed from me," Han Feifei said to Shen Yue. "And remember the favor you promised me, I''m leaving."

    Upon hearing this, Shen Yue''s face slightly changed color.

    After Han Feifei left, Ma Lu curiously asked, "What exactly did you promise her?"

    "I told her that if she helped me with makeup, I''d do a Turtle Shell Binding for her with a gag in my mouth, but I was just kidding, man. Do richdies really have such extreme tastes?" Shen Yue shivered.

    Hearing this, He Xiaoqian was also frightened. "Then, then I should return the makeup to her and apologize properly. I think Sister Feifei is quite nice, she should be willing to forgive us."

    But Ma Lu knew Shen Yue''s little tricks too well and warned.

    "Don''t be fooled by her. She never speaks the truth normally. She exaggerated things on purpose, to make you feel like you owe her a big favor, so that you''d feel bad about rejecting any unreasonable requests from her in the future.

    "Don''t lower your guard just because she is a woman; she''s actually bisexual."

    "That''s a smear against me!" Shen Yue protested loudly, a picture of righteousness. "Would I gamble with my reputation just for lying!?"

    Ma Lu couldn''t be bothered with her and turned to He Xiaoqian, "You have Han Feifei''s WeChat, right? Just ask her directly."

    Upon hearing this, Shen Yue instantly chickened out. "It''s just a small thing, no need, really no need to bother Feifei again. Forget it, I''m going to buy a gag."

    With that, she scampered off.

    But He Xiaoqian didn''t immediately start broadcasting; instead, she blushed and said to Ma Lu, "Can, can I add you on WeChat too?"

    "No, you don''t even buy my snacks."

    "Ah?" He Xiaoqian hastily opened Alipay.

    "I was just joking. But then again, if you don''t buy snacks, there''s really no point in adding me on WeChat."

    "Oh, oh, I just want to remember all the kind-hearted people who have helped me." He Xiaoqian said earnestly. "If I ever get the chance, I will definitely repay you all."

 Chapter 74: Chapter 74 Troubles of Happiness (Please Subscribe First)

    Before he set off, Ma Lu followed his usual routine and calcted his profit for the week.

    Thanks to the upgrade of the Collection Bag, he had managed to bring back an extra 100 kilograms of ingredients. Selling 7,775 portions of Queen''s Crisps at 18 yuan each, his total revenue came to 139,950.

    The costs had risenpared tost week, mainly because Old Wang''s newly adjusted sauce included several fresh vegetables, and they also switched out the gas cylinder and bought four barrels of oil, costing a total of 2,189.7.

    Therefore, his profit amounted to 137,760.3.

    The first thing Ma Lu did after this money entered his ount was to continue upgrading the Collection Bag.

    He spent 80,000 yuan to upgrade the Collection Bag from Level 4 to Level 5, increasing the storage limit to 800 kilograms. As for advancing further to Level 6, he would need 160,000 yuan, which he didn''t have at hand.

    Then Ma Lu added 20,000 yuan to his electric ount and ced an order for a humidifier.

    It couldn''t be helped; people are like that¡ªafter sleeping on atex mattress and no longer suffering from back pain, they start toin about the dry weather.

    Even before the humidifier was delivered, Ma Lu had already started researching rowing machines.

    Hunting and running a stall both require physical strength, and without a strong body, it''s not manageable. It''s said that rowing machines can exercise over 90% of the muscles in the body, so it seemed necessary to get one.

    After that, he could also find a shooting range, sign up for a VIP membership, and get a coach to improve his shooting skills. Always outlining the silhouette of a human target was rather embarrassing...

    However, all these were ns for after his return. For Ma Lu, the most crucial thing right now was to hunt down ingredients of 5 stars or above to prepare a dish that could impress the Werewolf.

    With this thought in mind, Ma Lu embarked on his journey once again.

    He was rubbing his hands together, ready to make a big ssh, but as soon as he arrived in another dimension, Boggy''s voice came to his ears.

    "Something''s happened!"

    "Hmm?" Ma Lu opened his eyes and noticed the unprecedented seriousness in Boggy''s demeanor.

    "Has Sanrew be suspicious of us yet?"

    "No, ck Horn is indeed investigating the disappearance of Jinjian and the others, but they haven''t traced it back to us just yet," Boggy said. "Besides, Sanrew probably doesn''t have the time to seek revenge for his subordinates now."

    "Why so?"

    "Because there''s trouble at the Giant Curtain," said Mai Mai, who was beside him.

    Only then did Ma Lu notice the tense expressions on everyone else''s faces.

    Although the hunt had yet to start, Seta had already preemptively created his Sand Soil Puppet, and Sadie had rolled up her sleeves. The siblings were constantly looking around, cautiously on guard.

    Their demeanor made Ma Lu realize the seriousness of the situation.

    "What exactly has happened?"

    "For some reason, the animals in the desert have be extraordinarily violent, and they''re gathering towards the Giant Curtain, including the powerful beasts that havee out of the Death Forbidden Zone," said Boggy.

    "They haven''t managed topletely surround the Giant Curtain yet, but they soon will. For safety reasons, the Air Transport has stopped flying. If you hade a dayter, we probably wouldn''t have been able to leave the city to find you."

    "This is a monster invasion," Mai Mai no longer sounded carefree as she usually did, her tone grave, "Out of the cities in history that have faced monster invasions, 17 of them have encountered this threat, and only 3 have survived it."

    Readtest stories on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin

    "What happens if they don''t survive?"

    "Everyone will die," Boggy answered coldly, "The Hunter''s Guild has issued the highest level of mobilization order, requesting all hunters to unite and defend the city. However, you''re not a local, and there''s no need for you to fight to the death for the Giant Curtain like we do."

    "We came here specifically to inform you about the situation here, and I have also brought maps, spare batteries, and enough supplies for you to survive in the desert for a month. You could try heading to other cities..."

    As Boggy spoke, he handed over the map, only for Ma Lu to not even look at it before tearing it up.

    "What kind of nonsense are you talking about? I''m a member of Twin Sunflower, and what''s more, the deputy captain. I must stand with my team members."

    Leave? That''s a joke.

    Ma Lu was just worrying about where to get high-star ingredients. ording to Mai Mai, those powerful creatures that usually hid in the Death Forbidden Zone had alle out.

    Now, there''s probably no ce better than Giant Curtain to hunt for rare ingredients.

    As for danger, Ma Lu was never really concerned about it. Let alone a mere beast tide, even if aet were to hit the earth the next second, he wouldn''t suffer any real harm. At worst, it would only mean a wasted trip.

    Moreover, after hunting together so many times, Ma Lu had developed feelings for Twin Sunflower, and he would definitely not stand by idly if Boggy and the others were in trouble.

    Upon hearing this, Seta gave a thumbs up, "Worthy of the deputy captain, I knew you''d stay. My most admired person used to be Harpist Captain Li, but from today onwards, it''s you!"

    Mai Mai was also somewhat touched, "I just realized how imposing you are, Deputy Captain..."

    Boggy was happy inside, but as a captain, she had to maintain her dignity. In the end, she just stiffly nodded to Ma Lu and then said.

    "Since you''ve made your decision, get on the vehicle. I''ll exin the details to you when we get back to Giant Curtain."

    "Alright."

    Ma Lu quickly changed his clothes at the storage point, and it wasn''t until he was on his motorcycle that he had the chance to collect his points from the previous round.

    In thest game, he had obtained a total of 80 blessings. The number wasn''t big because the team hadn''t really gone hunting properly.

    Fortunately, Boggy brought a bag of Red-bellied Rattlesnakes purchased at the market; along the way, they picked up fourteen Bloodsucking Tail Weasels and two Sand-Spray Qiangs.

    They contributed 3 White Blessings, 67 Blue Blessings, and 6 Purple Blessings.

    Then the three Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpions bestowed upon Ma Lu 3 Purple Blessings, and the Spiked Whip Spider Queen exploded with 1 Golden Blessing. Ma Lu also got 1 Golden and 1 Purple Blessing through Sticky Web and its upgraded version.

    The final score was 3673. He had inadvertently set a new record.

    Adding the remaining 3349 points fromst time and the extra 670 points of interest provided by the Little Piggy Bank, Ma Lu now had a total of 7692 points.

    Such terror!

    With such a hefty amount, of course, he had to check out some high-end items. This time, the Strange Object Store really delivered, presenting an item worth 1999¡ªthe [Troubles of Happiness].

    Effect: Every time you are presented with the option of blessings, an additional option is added.

    What a great item!

    Once Ma Lu saw this strange object, he couldn''t look away.

    Indeed, expensive for a reason, this 1999-valued strange object could increase the blessing options from 3 to 4, not only increasing the chances of useful blessings appearing but also further shortening the time it took to form a genre, and with more options, the scope of the work n and the Heartbeat Lotto also broadened.

    After browsing the shop, Ma Lu used Sticky Web and its upgraded version to retrieve [Charge with Hits] and [Super Mimicry Show].

    Although the other Golden Blessing [Power Bank] had quite a nice effect, [Super Imitation Show] was obviously more fun to use.

    After copying the Lava Giant Lizard''sva spray and Mai Mai''s Electric Field, Ma Lu felt he was bing increasingly dependent on this Golden Blessing.

 Chapter 75 Gate Number 3

    The motorcycle zed across the desert.

    As expected, there were far more wild beasts along the way than usual, and their aggressiveness had clearly increased; fortunately, most of them couldn''t keep up with the motorcycle and were shaken off before long.

    Sadie''s psychic power was particrly useful at a time like this.

    Apart from Mai Mai''s one-time deals and Ma Lu''s mediocre marksmanship, her Thorns attack was currently the most reliable long-range attack method the team could count on, ready to be unleashed at any moment.

    With her taking care of the faster beasts that got too close, the squad didn''t need to stop, avoiding being surrounded.

    After nearly six and a half hours of arduous travel, the Giant Curtain finally reappeared before their eyes.

    The towering, solid concrete city walls stood under the sun, offering a reassuring sense of security.

    However, after traveling a bit further, Boggy at the forefront suddenly slowed down.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Gate 3 is shut."

    "Then... should we head to another city gate?"

    "The Giant Curtain was already on the highest alert when we left. To strengthen the defense, two gates were closed; only Gate 3 was still open."

    As the two spoke, noises of a fight came from behind the dunes on the left.

    "Let''s go take a look first," Boggy said as he turned the handlebar, and the five of them hurried to the source of the noises, only to find a group of about fifteen people gathered here, jointly fighting off two Three-humped Wolf Camels.

    Members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group didn''t stand by idly.

    At times like this, hunters had to stand together.

    Using [Charge with Hits], Boggy umted a 1597% power bonus and aimed at the head of the Three-humped Wolf Camel, hurling his mechanical spear!

    A one-hit kill!

    Seta also created Sand Soil Puppets to join the beatdown on the other Three-humped Wolf Camel. The arrival of reinforcements immediately changed the tide of battle, and soon, the remaining Three-humped Wolf Camel was also killed with thebined efforts of everyone.

    A female hunter with a scar on her face represented the others in thanking the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group and briefly exined their situation.

    It turned out that these fourteen people were not from a single Hunting Group but were a temporary merger of five different Hunting Groups.

    When the beast swarm erupted, their Hunting Groups couldn''t return to the Giant Curtain in time for various reasons and wereter attacked by powerful wild beasts, suffering severe casualties.

    To protect themselves, the remaining survivors gathered together to form a temporary squad, fleeing back this way.

    "Do you know why the city gate closed early?" Boggy asked.

    "I just contacted the guild using the radio. They said several Hunting Groups were attacked by the Golden Leopard while carrying out cleaning tasks by the city gate."

    The female hunter''s eyes flickered with fear as she mentioned the name, "The city council, worried that the terrifying beast would enter the city and start a massacre, ordered the gates to be closed early."

    Boggy''s pupils contracted sharply; there was only one Golden Leopard near the Giant Curtain, also known as the Golden Reaper.

    Even among the monsters inhabiting the Death Forbidden Zone, it was one of the most powerful.

    It possessed cunning intelligence, a robust physique, terrifying speed, and astounding explosive power, but the most horrifying was its ability to be invisible.

    In the sunlight, it couldpletely hide its form until its ws pierced the target''s chest, ripping out their hearts. The prey might still not understand why they died.

    It was the incarnation of death. Your journey continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin

    Forty years ago, its infamy had already spread throughout the entire Giant Curtain, striking terror into the hearts of countless hunters.

    In those forty years, only one Hunting Group had ever taken the initiative to challenge it, but it ended in failure. On that day, the Harpist suffered the loss of nearly all its elites, while the Giant Curtain also lost its most legendary Hunter¡ªLi.

    Boggy clenched her fists, her heart pounding rapidly, half out of hatred and half out of fear.

    "The Golden Leopard is around here?"

    "No, no one knows the exact location of the Golden Reaper," the female Hunter with the scarred face said in a low voice as she unconsciously looked around.

    "It should have left after attacking those Hunting Groups in front of the gate, otherwise, we would be dead already."

    Hearing this, Boggy also calmed down slightly and continued to ask, "Did the guild say when the city gates will be opened again?"

    The scar-faced female Hunter replied, "They''re preparing a trap that can make the Golden Leopard reveal itself. In 40 minutes, Gate 3 will open again for 5 minutes to let the people stranded outside the citye in."

    The members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group then also received a regional broadcast from the guild, asking the survivors outside the city to prepare to enter.

    Seta and Mai Mai climbed atop a nearby dune to observe the movements of beasts near the city gates.

    At this moment, a young man and woman approached Boggy and Ma Lu.

    The handsome young man with a mechanical sword on his back was the first to speak, praising, "Nice move! Captain Boggy, the spear you threw earlier was amazing, killing a Three-humped Wolf Camel in one shot! The Twin Sunflower Hunting Group truly lives up to its reputation!"

    Boggy interrupted him, "If you''ve got something to say, say it quickly; we''re still in danger."

    "Uh..." The young man''s face turned a bit embarrassed, but he quickly rposed himself, pulled the girl next to him closer, and coughed lightly.

    "Actually, I''d like to issue amission, asking you to protect my sister into the Giant Curtain."

    "You and your sister don''t really look alike at all," Ma Lu said.

    Compared to Seta and Sadie, this pair of siblings had almost nothing inmon, not even the color of their hair matched, though the girl had dyed hers, one could still see strands of bright silver at her temples.

    "We¡­ are distant cousins."

    Boggy wasn''t in the mood for his nonsense and cut to the chase, "We''re not avable to takemissions right now, you should find someone else."

    "Wait," the young man said with a wry smile, "Alright, I''ll tell the truth, this is Methe, the daughter of the First Judge, Lord Dionysus."

    Surprise finally showed on Boggy''s face, "Why would Judge Dionysus''s daughter be outside the city?"

    "My mentor was a geologist," Methe said, "these past few days I was with her collecting data outside the city, and we didn''t expect to encounter the beast tide. She¡­ she was shot in the temple by a Short-Eared Lync Hedgehog that burst out suddenly right in front of me."

    Methe''s eyes reddened again and her voice trembled when she spoke of the terrifying moment of her mentor''s death, but being the daughter of the First Judge, she managed to hold back her tears.

    The young man then introduced himself, "I am Methe''s guard, Hulk. I''m not a Hunter, and my abilities are limited. Before we left the city we had also hired a Hunting Group, but after the beast tide appeared, those who didn''t die fled, and now only the two of us are left."

 Chapter 76: Chapter 76 Commission

    "Why would you seek us out?" Ma Lu asked curiously, "Haven''t you already encountered other hunters before?" He gestured with his mouth toward the woman with scars on her face, "Why not ask them for help?"

    "Lord Dionysus has served as the First Judge of the Giant Curtain for a full twenty years; he detests evil vehemently, having put many people behind bars, and some even sentenced to death, so he has a lot of enemies.

    "While he is in the city, it''s fine since he has the judicial police for protection, but once they leave, he and his family are constantly in danger. This is also why Miss Methe dyes her hair. After all, Lord Dionysus''s silver hair is just too famous."

    Hulk said, "Captain Wang is a good person, but her team is too mixed right now, with members from five different Hunting Groups. Captain Wang is just a temporary leader and cannot make everyone follow her orders.

    "I don''t know if any of Lord Dionysus''s enemies are among them, but inparison, I''d rather trust the descendants of Captain Li.

    "Moreover, I''ve heard of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group. Recently, you''ve been very outstanding, with each hunting trip being short but always able to capture rare game. Although the Hunting Group is notrge, its strength is exceptional. If you would agree to protect Methe, I couldn''t ask for anything better.

    "Lord Dionysus has only this one daughter; he would surely remember your assistance this time, and if you encounter any trouble in the future, you can seek out Lord Dionysus."

    Having said this, Hulk looked nervously toward Boggy. Even though they were now less than a few miles from the Giant Curtain, the young guard knew that the real test was just beginning.

    It would not be easy to return to the city safely, especially since both he and Methe are not hunters. If they can''t find strong support, they might be the first to fall behind when real danger arrives.

    "My Hunting Group and I can offer you some protection," Boggy said, "I greatly respect Judge Dionysus, but there''s no need for amission. As a captain, I will prioritize the safety of my team members and will help you within my capacity."

    Hearing this, Hulk felt slightly disappointed, as this was not quite the response he had hoped for, but he couldn''t find a stronger and more reliable helper than the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group at the moment and could only nod.

    "Then, thank you," he said.

    Ma Lu did not speak, just listening quietly on the side. These kinds of decisions are usually made by the captain.

    But if it were him, he would probably ept themission immediately.

    Although there was no practical difference between his and Boggy''s strategies, prioritizing their own people first, just verbally agreeing to themission would them an extra fee for keeping Methe safe and the gratitude of a high judge.

    It was a very lucrative deal.

    What, you ask, if themission fails? Well, of course, you act as if nothing happened.

    By then, Methe and Hulk are most likely gone, and no one would be left to hold him ountable for failing themission.

    Compared to the honest and straightforward Boggy, Ma Lu felt his own moral standards indeed needed improvement.

    And ever since arriving in different dimensions wherews were not enforced, Ma Lu had been letting himself go more and more, finding space to lower an already low moral baseline further.

    Especially after shing with ck Horn twice in a row, Ma Lu even entertained the thought of hunting without a group, realizing it could be more profitable.

    No wonder the protagonists in cultivation novels start off by killing and looting; it''s truly a lucrative business.

    Moreover, when plotting against ck Horn, Ma Lu had no sense of guilt. The equipment blueprint that dropped from Jinjianst time made him fantasize anew¡ªwhat if it was Sanrew next time?

    He had reflected on himself, wondering if there really was no other way to resolve the issue than to kill Sanrew.

    It seemed not, but Ma Lu had already given up on thinking further.

    All he could think about was what good loot he might get from Sanrew, even dreaming about it at night.

    Moreover, once Sanrew was gone, ck Horn would essentially be finished, and they could sell off therge batch of motorbikes and equipment they had confiscated before for a hefty sum of money.

    After this job was done, Ma Lu figured he could take a few months off, no longer having to hunt under the harsh re of two zing suns.

    At that time, he could simply use the money to buy ingredients at the market, then spend the remaining time enjoying the Giant Curtain, sipping some drinks, finding a massage parlor, and perhaps getting a desert spa treatment. How splendid would that be?

    However, man''s calctions are no match for heaven''s. This time, no sooner had he arrived than he encountered a beast horde, and the idea of hunting Sanrew had to be put on hold.

    After Hulk and Methe left, Boggy asked, "What are you thinking about?"

    "Oh, I''m thinking about how you all risked being locked out of the city toe find me." Ma Lu responded casually.

    "Because you''re the deputy leader of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, we definitely couldn''t just abandon you. Besides, I said before we left that if anyone felt it was too dangerous, they didn''t have toe, and in the end, no one backed out."

    "You''re making me feel like I owe you one," Ma Lu scratched his head.

    "It''s nothing. Deputy Leader, you''ve saved me before," Seta joined the conversation aftering down from a dune.

    Mai Mai also said, "You''ve always been the core of our team, looking after us with your Meat Pigeon Ability. It''s time we took care of you for a change, and besides, you stayed behind for us, didn''t you?"

    "Ah, mainly I thought it was a rare opportunity and I wanted to hunt properly," Ma Lu said truthfully.

    His bold and confident speech did dispel some of the tension in Boggy and the others.

    Encouraged, Mai Mai chimed in, "No matter how many wild beasts there are, they''re only the prey we''re hunting! There''s no need to fear them. Since that''s the case, let''s have a good hunt!"

    "Yes!" Seta, at the age when teen bravado burns bright, immediately caught fire at thement, and even Sadie couldn''t help but lick her lips.

    After a short rest, Wang Zhen came over to discuss the ns for entering the city with Boggy. In another fifteen minutes, Gate 3 would open again.

    The timing was perfect for leaving, neither too early nor toote. As long as they could reach the city, they would be able to enter right away.

    But by then, there were even more wild beasts gathering outside the city, and the closer to the walls, the denser they were.

    Near Gate 3 alone, there were hundreds of Bloodsucking Tail Weasels; they had drained the blood of those previously killed by the Golden Leopard and were now wandering like zombies under the city, eagerly seeking new blood to feast on.

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    In addition to that, Ma Lu saw several Grey-Spotted Cheetahs, Angr Belly ck Swift Snakes slithering, Earth-Splitting Porcupines... as well as various other beasts whose names he didn''t know.

    Strangely, with so many animals gathered together, and some even encountering their natural enemies, although there were asional conflicts, there was never arge-scale massacre. It was a rare sight, indeed.

 Chapter 77 Go Big [Extra for Alliance Leader Yan Wo]

    The Twin Sunflower Hunting Group and Wang Zhen''s people converged, mounting their respective motorcycles.

    Boggy and Sadie took the initiative to move to the front of the team, while Wang Zhen''s side also selected four hunters to lead the way.

    Ma Lu and Mai Mai continued to blend into the middle of the team, acting inconspicuously. Hulk followed closely beside Ma Lu with Methe, his gaze anxious, while Seta and three other hunters took up the rear.

    Once ready, over a dozen motorcycles headed towards the Giant Curtain together.

    With so many people moving at once, they were bound to make noise, and as soon as they appeared from behind the dunes, they immediately attracted the attention of nearby beasts.

    However, those who had survived the beast tide and had managed to flee here were mostly quite skilled, and they killed the beasts before they could approach the convoy.

    Continue your adventure with m|v-l''e -NovelBin

    But as they drew closer to the Giant Curtain, the pressure began to mount.

    The number of beasts had grown toorge for the outer hunters to handle. Some took advantage of the chaos to prate the convoy; some were struck dead by the motorcycles, but others seized the opportunity to pounce on the riders.

    One unlucky fellow was bitten on the shin by a Two-Headed Hyena and screamed as he was dragged off his motorcycle.

    Hispanion wanted to stop and rescue him but heard Wang Zhen shout, "Don''t get off! Speed through here, or it''ll be troublesome if we get surrounded!"

    At that, thepanion hesitated, but ultimately, he grimly twisted the throttle.

    Ma Lu saw that Mai Mai had stealthily taken out her Small Hand Crossbow, and Hulk had unsheathed his mechanical sword from his back, guarding Methe behind him. While driving with one hand, he swung the long sword around, keeping the nearby beasts at bay.

    Ma Lu had wanted to take out his Hand Crossbow to take a few shots, but thinking about his terrible marksmanship, he cooled down.

    Without the blessing, he wasn''t even sure he would hit a stationary target on t ground, let alone a moving target while on the move.

    And missing was secondary; if an arrow went off course and hurt someone, that would be a real mess.

    Nevertheless, Ma Lu''s eyes lit up at the sight of so many prey. Normally, these beasts were scattered throughout the desert, and it was rare for them to be so gathered together. If he could unleash an Electric Field then, wouldn''t the blessings skyrocket?

    But Ma Lu nced ahead and felt he could wait because there were obviously more beasts ahead, and saving up for a bigger group would be better for handling emergencies.

    The convoy continued forward. They were now less than a kilometer from the Giant Curtain, but their speed had slowed down.

    It couldn''t be helped; the way ahead was nearly blocked. Small beasts like Two-Headed Hyenas and Angr Belly ck Swift Snakes were manageable. As long as they weren''t bitten directly, they generally couldn''t stop the convoy''s progress.

    If they dared block the way, they would just be run over.

    However, creatures like the Rockskin Rhinoceros and the Sickle-horned Antelope, which weighed over 300 pounds, could no longer be ignored.

    Especially the Sickle-horned Antelope, which were not slower than the motorcycles and had a strong jumping ability, capable of leaping 3 meters high.

    Ma Lu watched as a Sickle-horned Antelope leaped from the herd andnded squarely on a motorcycle, shattering the hunter''s chest.

    As for the Rockskin Rhinoceros, they moved much slower, but true to their name, their skin was as hard as rock. Just standing there was like a roadblock, forcing the convoy to detour.

    This slowed them down and allowed the previously distanced beasts to catch up again.

    Fortunately, hunters in the convoy promptly acted, solidifying rows of spikes from the yellow sand to stop the pursuers from behind.

    Yet, more Sickle-horned Antelope charged towards the convoy, their sickle-shaped horns glinting with a terrifying cold light in the sunlight.

    The hunters at the front involuntarily slowed down, but Mai Mai, who was originally in the middle of the convoy, floored the throttle instead.

    "I will clear the way!"

    Having said that, she outpaced the others.

    A Grey-Spotted Cheetah that had been lurking among the beasts had set its sights on Mai Mai for a long time but had never found an opportunity, until Mai Mai took the initiative to break away from the group, offering it the chance it was looking for.

    The cheetah elerated as well, its hind legs powerfully kicking off the ground, as it leaped into the air and transformed into a blur, lunging diagonally at Mai Mai from the side!

    The prey''s figure magnified continuously in its narrow pupils, and the distance between the two rapidly closed.

    The Grey-Spotted Cheetah''s fangs were about to sink into the target''s throat.

    At that moment, however, blue arcs of electricity suddenly surged over Mai Mai''s body.

    Her pupils, eyebrows, and mouth were all enveloped in electric light, turning her into a small blue figure.

    Countless currents of electricity scrambled to climb up her body!

    Yet, the scene didn''tst long; soon after, the currents scattered in all directions.

    The Sickle-horned Antelopes ahead and the Two-Headed Hyenas that had been relentlessly pursuing the convoy could not avoid the wave of electric shocks.

    But, the most unfortunate was the Grey-Spotted Cheetah still mid-air, already emanating the smell of char before even hitting the ground.

    Mai Mai had used up the electricity stored in the motorcycle''s battery as well, releasing electricity for nearly 10 seconds, clearing almost all enemies within a radius of twenty meters in one breath.

    Afterward, her body weakened, and she fell forward.

    But before she could hit the ground, Boggy, who had caught up from behind, held her, cing her on the back seat of his own.

    "You''ve worked hard, leave the rest to us," Boggy said.

    The scene stunned the other Hunters in the squad, with Hulk and Methe gaping in disbelief.

    The young guards, though they had been closely following the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, had not seen anything extraordinary about Ma Lu and Mai Mai.

    When faced with the attacks of wild beasts, their performance was no different from that of other ordinary Hunters, no, it might have even been worse.

    Mai Mai was only intermittently firing with a Small Hand Crossbow, while Ma Lu didn''t even bother to draw a weapon, focused solely on dodging while driving the motorcycle.

    When targeted by a wild beast, they would lure it to where there were more people, then quietly escape, which had Hulk furrowing his brows in doubt, wondering if he had misced his trust.

    But then he witnessed the supposedly cking Mai Mai rising to the asion in a moment of crisis, transforming into thunder, carving a path through the vast sea of beasts, a heroic act of rescue!

    The doubts in Hulk''s heart evaporated instantly, and at that moment, all he wanted was to get closer to the other "big leg."

    But when he turned his head, he found that Ma Lu had already jumped off his motorcycle and shouted to Seta behind him, "Give me a ride!"

    After saying that, he got on Seta''s motorcycle and then focused on poking and pointing at the empty space in front of him.

    There would always be blessings after a squad battle.

    Mai Mai had just unleashed her full power, eliminating dozens of wild beasts at once, and at the same time, Ma Lu also received a series of notification bombardments.

    These blessings came at just the right time and could be used to fortify the squad, significantly enhancing the survival andbat abilities of the team members.

    However, the prerequisite was to make the selection within 60 seconds; under these circumstances, Ma Lu certainly couldn''t afford to be distracted by driving anymore.

 Chapter 78 Dont Look at the Sun

    "Choosing blessings was actually something Ma Lu couldn''t afford to scrutinize in detail, especially after purchasing ''Troubles of Happiness'' which turned the original three options into four, making it even more dazzling to the eye."

    "In the end, it was because he received too many blessings at once. Ma Lu could only follow the principle of choosing wherever the color looked brighter, and if they were the same, then prioritize attributes, haphazardly pressing away."

    "This way of choosing would definitely cause him to miss out on some high-quality blessings, but it was still better than wasting the opportunity to choose."

    "The 60 seconds quickly passed, and the members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group gained an additional 8 purple, 42 blue, and 29 white blessings."

    "Adding those to the two Three-humped Wolf Camels they had killed earlier, along with the beasts Sadie had taken care of along the way, the total number of blessings had already surpassed a hundred."

    "The enhancements to strength, speed, stamina, and reflexes were increased by 97%, 113%, 139%, and 85%, respectively."

    "The significant increase in attributes brought Ma Lu a renewed sense of security; his only regret was that among so many prey, not a single Golden Blessing had burst forth."

    "Afterwards, he flipped through the 8 Purple Blessings he had obtained."

    "Since he hadn''t used the ''work n'' yet, these 8 blessings were quite varied, epassing all types."

    "Ma Lu didn''t react much when looking at the first few, but as his gazended on thest Purple Blessing, his eyes suddenly sharpened."

    "Then, he hurriedly called out, ''Everyone, listen, don''t look at the sun!!!''"

    "In the end, he added solemnly, worried that the others might not realize the severity, ''Absolutely, absolutely don''t look at the sun! You''ll go blind!''"

    "But before his words finished, he heard a hunter scream in panic."

    "''I! I can''t see!!! What''s going on?! Why can''t I see anything!''"

    "[Bright Light Blindness: In battle, those who directly look at the sun, whether friend or foe, have a 33% chance of entering a blinded state for 10 seconds]"

    "Field-type blessings, yet again a field-type blessing."

    "This time it was Ma Lu''s fault; he was too quick to act, and in his haste to choose, he identally picked a field-type blessing."

    "Fortunately, it was still rtively easy to avoid looking at the sun, provided one was willing to listen."

    "Anyway, Boggy and the others had been with Ma Lu long enough to understand immediately upon hearing what he said."

    "As for everyone else, they could only hope for the best."

    "Ma Lu had already warned them, twice no less, fulfilling his duty to inform."

    "After saying that, he then reassured the blinded hunter, ''Stay calm, don''t move, you''ll be able to see again after 10 seconds.''"

    "However, the hunter, suddenly struck blind, had fear climbing to its peak in his heart andpletely ignored what others were saying." Continue your journey on m|v-l''e -NovelBin

    "He wildly twisted the handlebars, driving the motorcycle haphazardly out of the convoy and ended up charging straight into a Rockskin Rhinoceros."

    "The violent collision flung him from the bike, casting him directly into a crowd of beasts."

    "Ma Lu mourned the unlucky fellow in his heart for three seconds and then suddenly thought of something and said to Seta."

    "''Let me drive, you make your Sand Soil Puppete out.''

    "''Okay.''

    "Seta didn''t ask why; the repeated battles had already instilled in him the good habit of trusting Ma Lu, so he promptly switched ces and then created a Sand Soil Puppet."

    "The imposing Sand Soil Puppet immediately attracted the attention of numerous beasts as soon as it appeared."

    More importantly, it was over three meters tall; when ordinary beasts looked at it, they had to raise their heads, and as soon as they lifted their gazes... the chances of seeing the sun naturally increased drastically.

    Thus, the Sand Soil Puppet turned into a blinding machine, whoever stood before it was blinded.

    Regrettably, its movement speed was not fast enough, and if the distance was too great, Seta could no longer control it, leaving it to revert back into yellow sand.

    However, in such situations, Seta could simply craft a new one.

    The appearance of the Sand Soil Puppet greatly relieved the pressure on the back of the team. Ma Lu continued to flip through other blessings while driving, among which the more useful ones included

    [Headshot: Team members have a 33% chance of aiming at the target''s head when making long-range attacks.]

    [Quenching Poison: There is a 33% chance that team members'' attacks on poisoned targets will also carry a poisoning effect, whichsts for 15 seconds.]

    [Great Shield Strike Blessing: When team members use shields to attack, there is a 33% chance of causing the target to enter a stunned state, whichsts for 1 second.]

    [Now You Conduct Electricity: Designates a target, increasing their electrical conductivity by 400%, cooldown time 1 hour.]

    [Splitting Arrow: Team members have a 33% chance of splitting off another attack of equal power when making long-range attacks, hitting the enemy unit closest to the target.]

    Among these, [Headshot] and [Quenching Poison] were already familiar friends, and the remaining [Great Shield Strike Blessing] was somewhat simr to the dragon knight''s dragon tail sweep, both carrying a stunning effect.

    [Now You Conduct Electricity] was an auxiliary divine skill for electric psychic power users, with no damage in itself, but once this debuff was applied, throwing in a skill attack could deal four times the damage.

    In the end, Ma Lu still chose [Splitting Arrow] to activate the effects of the work n.

    The reason was simple, the squad was about to enter the city, and they could hide behind the city walls for ranged output; in such an environment, ranged professions were definitely easier to deal damage and had more security.

    Seeing that there were only 500 meters left to the city gate, those Bloodsucking Tail Weasels were finally startled and swarmed over.

    Theirbat power was inferior to the Two-Headed Hyenas, but once bitten, they wouldtch onto the prey like leeches, not letting go until they had drained the target''s blood, even if their heads were chopped off.

    Moreover, their numbers were a bit too great, with at least a hundred, and faces of Wang Zhen and the others turned solemn upon facing them, all bracing themselves as if facing a formidable enemy.

    Only Ma Lu was eager to try; he was already nning to make his move, but at that moment came the sound of hinges turning from Gate 3, and the heavy iron gate slowly opened to both sides.

    The nearby beasts, seeing this, temporarily abandoned their pursuit of the survivors outside the city and scrambled to rush inside.

    However, what awaited them was a zing inferno that descended from the sky, its domineering mes seeming intent on consuming all in heaven and earth!

    Then a burly figure emerged from the Sea of mes.

    A cheer went up among the crowd, "It''s Wei Cha, the leader of me Tooth from the Giant Curtain!"

    me Tooth was an old-established Golden Hunting Group from the Giant Curtain, and its leader, Wei Cha, was a fire attribute psychic power user. His psychic powers were formidable, though notparable to Mai Mai''s Electric Field, but they had the advantage of being reusable and longersting.

    Gate 3 had opened five minutes ahead of the original schedule, marking the emergence of hunters from inside the city to the rescue.

    Apart from me Tooth, there were two other hunting groups, totaling neen people, all of them high-level experts.

    Even though the Golden Leopard had just appeared below the city wall, there were still brave souls who dared to venture out of the city to rescue the trapped, unafraid of the Golden Reaper''s fearsome reputation.

    And upon seeing those rescuers, many hunters beside Ma Lu wept with joy, even Hulk and Methe had joy written all over their faces, feeling as if they had narrowly escaped death.

    Only Ma Lu''s heart sank; he thought, is this guy nning to steal the kill?

    Those hundred-plus 2-star Bloodsucking Tail Weasels had already been reserved by him, just waiting for them to rush over to begin a massive harvest, but as soon as Wei Cha and his group showed up, the Bloodsucking Tail Weasels turned tail.

 Chapter 79 Powering Up Again

    Ma Lu was contemting whether to risk a charge, trying to leap into the Bloodsucking Tail Weasel group and cause havoc before Wei Cha and the others made their move.

    But who knew that another change would happen!

    Just when many people had breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the crisis was past, a sudden vibration came from beneath them.

    Then, the sand and stones churned, and weird lines suddenly rose from the ground, resembling the veins on an arm.

    However, unlike veins, those were still writhing incessantly, dense and close-packed, enough to make one''s scalp tingle.

    Wang Zhen''splexion drastically changed as if he had remembered something, and eximed, "Not good, it''s an Alien-Lipped Sand Worm Swarm!"

    Ma Lu also received a notification from his Traveler''s Bracelet, but he didn''t understand why Wang Zhen was so nervous.

    The Alien-Lipped Sand Worm was a 1-star ingredient, on the same level as the Young me Lizard.

    ording to the guide, it looked almost the same as an ordinary earthworm, justrger, and its mouth didn''t have teeth either, so its attack power should be very limited.

    However, upon hearing Wang Zhen''s words, Ma Lu found that despair was written on the faces of those around him.

    Even Hulk murmured, "It''s over, we''re finished this time!"

    "What''s finished?" Ma Lu asked.

    "It''s an Alien-Lipped Sand Worm Swarm! We''re doomed!!! Even if Captain Wei Cha takes action, he can''t save us!"

    Hulk''s eyes were lifeless, as if he was a step from heaven, and behind him, Methe had already curled up into a ball, trembling violently.

    "Why are we doomed?" Ma Lu continued to press for answers, yet the vibration below had intensified.

    Immediately after, the ground copsed, forming a giant pit with a diameter of about thirty meters.

    But that was not the end, as the copse at the center of the giant pit continued and picked up speed.

    The group tried to drive their motorcycles away, but without realizing it, their tracks were already trapped in the sand.

    Thousands of Alien-Lipped Sand Worms were vigorously swimming beneath the sand pit, their movement expanded the gaps between the sand grains, liquifying the surface sand. The slightest pressure would cause it to rapidly sink.

    Ma Lu now understood why Wang Zhen and the others were so afraid of these 1-star ingredients.

    By individual strength, the Alien-Lipped Sand Worms were undoubtedly the weakest of the lot. However, when their numbers reached a certain level, they could cause a qualitative change through their quantity, unleashing terrifyingbat power, making even the most powerful wild beasts take a detour when facing them.

    Ma Lu had already twisted the throttle to its limit, but he was still unable to get out of the sand pit and was sinking deeper instead; the quicksand had already covered his ankles, and the others were not faring any better.

    Not just them, even the nearby beasts had fallen in, struggling and wailing but only sinking deeper.

    At that moment, Wei Cha was still some distance away from them, and although his fire-type power could handle the beasts on the surface, they were ineffective against the sand worms beneath the sand.

    Some people even subconsciously took two steps back, fearing that they would also fall into that sand pit.

    Without any further hesitation, Ma Lu immediately activated the Golden Blessing [Super Mimicry Show], copied Mai Mai''s Electric Field ability, and was about to use it when he remembered something else.

    He first cast [Now You Conduct Electricity] towards the sand pit.

    This Purple Blessing could increase the target''s conductivity by 400%, but Ma Lu was unsure if the sand pit counted as a target. Still, he tried as ast resort and, to his surprise, the blessing took effect sessfully.

    With no more hesitation, Ma Lu activated his Electric Field ability in an instant, transforming into Thor, the god of thunder. His entire body was shrouded in lightning.

    He clenched his fist and punched the ground beneath him, guiding the electric current from his arm downwards, chasing after the prey hidden beneath the sand.

    Under the influence of [Now You Conduct Electricity], the electric current, which would normally extend only a short distance, significantly increased its range of activity and quickly located the creators of the sand pit.

    But the flesh and blood of these little creatures didn''t have the same level of instion as the sand.

    Moreover, to rx the sand pit, they were very close to each other, nearly sticking together.

    In other words, as long as he found one, Ma Lu could electrocute a whole group at once, wiping them all out in one fell swoop.

    Apart from the Alien-Lipped Sand Worm Swarm, there were also other wild beasts that had fallen into the sand pit from the vicinity.

    During the 30-second duration, Ma Lu didn''t know how many things he had electrocuted.

    Perhaps because he was far enough from the prey, he even triggered the effects of both [Headshot] and [Splitting Arrow].

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    This made Ma Lu gopletely berserk!

    This was no longer hunting, it was a massacre!!!

    Ma Lu was essentially driving abine harvester through a wheat field.

    The Traveler''s Bracelet was once again flooded with incessant notification messages, and this time, he really couldn''t keep up with the blessings.

    Seeing the 60-second countdown was almost up, Ma Lu got a bit anxious, so he used a trick from his school days and shouted loudly.

    "Quick, select C for all of them!"

    In the final moments, the Traveler''s Bracelet seemed to understand hismand, and the screen started shing wildly, while the character status bar kept growing longer.

    Since the Alien-Lipped Sand Worms were only 1-star ingredients, unless the effect of the jackpot heartbeats was active, killing them would only yield White Blessings.

    But it couldn''t withstand the sheer number.

    After checking, Ma Lu found that his character status bar had 16 pages, but the actual number of blessings was even more¡ªthey just weren''t listed anymore since the White Blessing pool had been drained, and selecting the same blessing again would enhance the existing one instead of taking up more space.

    So Ma Lu wasn''t clear about how many blessings he had gathered from that wave; he only knew there was a sea of white, sprinkled with a small amount of blue, an even smaller amount of purple, and a touch of gold.

    These higher-quality blessings definitely weren''t provided by the mere 1-star Alien-Lipped Sand Worms, they were probably burst out from other wild beasts that fell into the trap sand pit.

    As for who was so generous, it was impossible to verify by now, and it wasn''t important; the copse of the sand pit had finally stopped.

    Although there might still be some living Alien-Lipped Sand Worms below, their ranks had copsed due to the heavy casualties, and they could no longer cause the sand pit to keep sinking.

    Seizing the opportunity, everyone hurriedly escaped.

    Seeing the sun above their heads once again, some couldn''t help but shed tears, and then they fell into a 10-second state of blindness under the effect of [Strong Light Hurts Eyes], unable to see anything.

    But thankfully, they were now close to the city gates, and Wei Cha and others had arrived by this time as well.

    The leader of the me Fang Hunting Group, Wei Cha, had not taken his eyes off Ma Lu, his gaze filled with unconcealed appreciation for talent.

    A hero indeed appreciated another hero.

    Wei Cha, who enjoyed burning everything with fierce mes, always had a special preference for hunters withrge-area clearing skills, not to mention that the terrifying attack power and endurance that Ma Lu had just shown had left him with an incredibly deep impression.

    If he could have such a helper, the me Fang''s push for bing a Diamond Hunting Group would be much more assured.

    However, before Wei Cha could extend an invitation, his view was blocked by a figure.

    "Captain Wei, long time no see," Boggy said.

    Wei Cha then saw Boggy and nodded at him, "Your Hunting Group has developed nicely; if your father were still alive, he would certainly be proud of you."

 Chapter 80 Explosive Divine Arrow

    With Wei Cha and the others'' assistance, the survivors sessfully entered the Giant Curtain, during which the Golden Leopard did not reappear.

    It was like a nightmare, appearing suddenly and departing just as abruptly, leaving only a shadow in everyone''s hearts.

    Ma Lu studied the newly acquired Blessings, and due to their sheer number, he decided to sort them by quality, starting with the Golden Blessing.

    [Bursting Divine Arrow: When a team member performs a long-range attack and kills the target, there is a 50% chance that an explosion will be triggered within a 3-meter diameter, causing one-time area damage to all creatures in that area.]

    The effect of [Bursting Divine Arrow] was simr to another Golden Blessing Ma Lu had obtained before, [Corpse Bomb], both bringing indiscriminate explosive damage upon death.

    However, [Corpse Bomb] required sacrificing oneself or a teammate, while [Bursting Divine Arrow] affected the enemy, and its explosive range was much smaller at only 3 meters, and the damage it caused was not as terrifying as [Corpse Bomb].

    But considering the astonishing cost of [Corpse Bomb], [Bursting Divine Arrow] was obviously more practical.

    Moreover, this Golden Blessing could synergize with the [Splitting Arrow] and [Headshot] he had acquired before.

    It seems that the work n did indeede into y.

    Aside from that, two Purple Blessings also caught Ma Lu''s attention.

    [Extreme Marksman: When a team member performs a long-range attack, there is a 33% chance to additionally increase the effective attack range by 500%.]

    A range-increasing Blessing, also something Ma Lu urgently needed.

    The effective range of his Small Hand Crossbow was only 20 meters, a 500% increase would bring it to 120 meters, which, although still notparable to a sniper rifle, was already close to amon submachine gun and could be used on the city walls.

    The other Purple Blessing was even more powerful.

    [Pain Link: Designate a target, causing it to link with the seven nearest creatures, transmitting damage to other linked creatures with a 33% chance whenever one of them is attacked, and each transmission halves the damage.]

    Another area damage Skill, with a very interesting effect; the damage transmission seemed to be unlimited, meaning if one was lucky enough, it could continue indefinitely, although the damage would be halved with each transmission.

    Ma Lu contemted, feeling that the synergy effect of this Purple Blessing with [Bursting Divine Arrow] should be pretty good.

    This time, in addition to the Purple Blessings, the enhanced White Blessings were also quite striking.

    A total of 682 White Blessings were strengthened about ten times each on average, the effects nowparable to or even surpassing Blue Blessings.

    However, this also made Ma Lu sweat, thankfully there were no White Ground Blessings, the lowest starting with Blue. Otherwise, just for thebat prohibitions, he would have topile a booklet for the entire team to recite and write from memory for an afternoon.

    After tallying up the gains from this time, Ma Lu couldn''t wait to try out the power of the new Blessings on the city walls, and he also hadn''t yet secured the high-star ingredients he meant to hunt this time.

    The prey hunted outside the city earlier had no chance to be gathered, Ma Lu had only stuffed some into the Collection Bag as an afterthought upon entering the city¡ªusual 1-star or 2-star ingredients.

    However, before he could get to the wall, he was stopped by someone. The first toe over was Wang Zhen, followed by quite a few other Hunters, all from the group that hade back to the city with him, along with their rtives and friends,ing to express their gratitude to Ma Lu.

    Hulk and Methe came over only after these people had left.

    The Alien-Lipped Sand Worm Swarm was the thing those leaving the city feared the most, and unlike those powerful beasts that mainly stayed in the Death Forbidden Zone.

    No one knew where the Alien-Lipped Sand Worm Swarm might appear; if one were unlucky, even in first or second-level hunting areas one might encounter them, being silently swallowed by the terrifying sand pits they created.

    If it hadn''t been for Ma Lu''s intervention in the end, dealing with the underground Alien-Lipped Sand Worm Swarm, all of them would have likely ended up outside the city walls.

    And Hulk was actually nearby when Ma Lu unleashed his power, witnessing the vice-leader of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group''s godly descent, his thunderous strike filled with heroism.

    The young guard, excited, kept mumbling, "So strong! So strong! That punch of yours was just too, too, too strong!!!"

    He repeated "so strong" three times before continuing.

    "I''ve seen many skilled practitioners, and there are quite a few who have telekic psychic powers in the electrical category, but none of them can do what you did, conducting electricity into the sand! How on earth did you manage that?!"

    "Oh, let me think... Mostly it''s about enduring day after day of rigorous training and having an iron will, something like that, and of course, strong bonds with teammates are also very important. In any case, I couldn''t have reached this level of strength without these factors."

    "Aha, I''ve learned a lot!"

    The young guard treasured this insight from a master, earnestly etching the advice deep into his memory.

    In contrast, Methe, who hailed from a family of high court judges and was equally young, was not so easily deceived; she had begun to suspect that her naive guard might have been conned.

    Though Ma Lu spoke with fervor and conviction, in actuality, he hadpletely sidestepped Hulk''s question with a bunch of correct but useless titudes.

    Yet, Ma Lu was, after all, their lifesaver, so Methe refrained from saying anything critical, instead sizing up the deputy leader of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group with a curious gaze.

    She felt that Ma Lu was unlike anyone she had ever met, quite unique!

    Hulk mentally repeated the lesson to make sure he remembered every word, then respectfully said,

    "Miss Methe would like to invite you and the other members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group toe to the manor. Lord Dionysus, the First Judge himself, will make an appearance to express his gratitude personally and to offer gifts as a token of thanks."

    "But I have other matters to attend to."

    "Ah?"

    "You''ve seen the beast tide outside the city. The crisis hasn''t been resolved yet, and the lives of several hundred thousand people inside the city are still hanging by a thread. As a Hunter, I really can''t take leave at a time like this."

    Ma Lu''s words once again filled Hulk with deep respect.

    "Then, please visit whenever you''re free," the young guard didn''t urge him, "Lord Dionysus''s manor will always have its doors open for you."

    "Sure."

    Ma Lu also wanted to establish a rtionship with the judge from the Giant Curtain; it would ensure that no one in the city would dare to trouble the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group in the future.

    However, this was something Boggy could handle for him. With his time limited and having earned so many blessings this time around, he definitely had to go hunting for some good items first.

    After Hulk and Methe left, Ma Lu turned to look for Boggy, only to find that she had just finished chatting with someone.

    And Ma Lu recognized that person, someone he had encountered the first time he came to this ne of existence.

    ¡ª The current leader of the Harpists, Guli.

    "What did hee to see you for?"

    "Nothing much, just checking to see if I was alright."

    Boggy said expressionlessly, "He had heard that I left the city and originally wanted to bring a team to find me, but the proposal was vetoed by the rest of the Hunting Group."

    "Chi Qi?" Ma Lu raised his eyebrows.

    "Indeed, he was the one who objected the most, but he did have a point. I''m not with the Harpists anymore, and there''s no reason for them to take risks for me."

    "Speaking of which, have you decided what to do about Chi Qi?"

    "I n to talk to him in private once all this is over," said Boggy, "It''s best if we cane to an agreement and stay out of each other''s way in the future."

    "And if you can''te to an agreement?" Ma Lu asked again.

    Boggy fell silent for a moment, "We''ll cross that bridge when wee to it."

 Chapter 81: Chapter 81 Stone

    Facing the beast tide, the Giant Curtain had entered the highest level of alert status. All three main gates were closed, and it was not so easy to get onto the city wall.

    However, both Boggy and Ma Lu possessed hunter identities. After registering at the guild, they received passage permits and then took the elevator straight to the top of the wall.

    The Giant Curtain''s city wall was 16 meters high, and with the vast dome, the highest point was even over 20 meters from the ground. Furthermore, the width was also astonishing. Discover stories with m,v l''e-NovelBin

    Ma Lu roughly estimated and felt that two MPVs could run side by side on top of it.

    The reason for building it so thick was to defend against attacks from some of the gigantic beasts.

    The desert was full of dangers, and although therge prey near the Giant Curtain had mostly been hunted by various Hunting Groups, asionally some would slip through the.

    But this time, the beasts from the desert were emerging en masse, not just a few strays.

    At this time, quite a few hunters had gathered on the city wall, observing the situation outside the city, including Wei Cha, the leader of the me Fang Hunting Group, whom they had just met before.

    Wei Cha was also surprised to see Ma Lu and Boggy, seemingly not expecting that after just fighting their way out of the beast horde, they hadn''t gone back to recover and catch their breath, but had insteade directly to the front lines.

    He couldn''t help but regard the two young men more highly once more, especially Ma Lu, who Wei Cha found more and more to his liking.

    But since Wei Cha had already been warned by Boggy once before about recruiting Ma Lu, it wasn''t appropriate to poach in front of Boggy now, so he could only nod at the two as a greeting.

    And Ma Lu was already itching to take out his hand crossbow.

    He went to the edge of the wall and peeked down.

    What his gaze met was a sea of beasts. A group of Short-Eared Link Hedgehogs noticed him and immediately quivered their bodies, sending out dozens of thorns with a swoosh.

    But with Ma Lu''s current reaction boost of 379%, he immediately retracted his head as soon as the hedgehogs poised their backsides, and those thorns ended up embedded in the concrete wall.

    Ma Lu''s retaliation came swiftly. As soon as they finished shooting, he cast a [Pain Link] and then retaliated with his hand crossbow.

    This arrow did not trigger a [Headshot], but since there were sufficiently many Short-Eared Link Hedgehogs below, it still hit one of the little creatures.

    The wound itself was not serious, merely a grazed skin, but immediately after that, the hedgehog was engulfed in mes and fell into states of severe injury, bleeding, poisoning, and slow motion.

    There was no helping it; this time, Ma Lu''s golden and purple blessings were not numerous, but his white blessings were maxed out, and they were almost all +10 enhancements.

    With a single arrow shot, he himself didn''t even know how many effects it carried.

    In no time, the Short-Eared Link Hedgehog sumbed to the continuous bleeding and poisoning.

    Then, the effects of [Explosive Arrow] were sessfully triggered.

    The area within a three-meter diameter around the corpse experienced a small-scale explosion.

    This explosion directly took out the nearby Short-Eared Link Hedgehogs; the [Pain Link] hadn''t even had a chance to take effect.

    When Ma Lu peeked down again, there were no more annoying hedgehogs shooting thorns at him.

    Very good, it seemed the power was quite satisfactory!

    [Explosive Arrow] was simply a godsend when dealing with small, thin-skinned creatures.

    The only pity was that the dead Short-Eared Link Hedgehogs couldn''t be recovered. Although Ma Lu didn''t set his sights high on these 1-star and 2-star ingredients now, even a mosquito was flesh.

    Even if he didn''t take them back, they could still be exchanged for some money in the local market.

    It was a shame that he could only watch helplessly as those dead Short-Eared Link Hedgehogs were devoured by other beasts while standing on the city wall.

    Ma Lu nced around and noticed that most people''s attention was fixed on therge wild beasts, discussing the possibility of hunting them down, with no one paying mind to the Short-Eared Lync Hedgehogs that had died abruptly nearby.

    Then he shot a few more arrows, further testing the power of the Blessings on his body.

    Now, his attack was hard to categorize in any single style; it felt like he was a patchwork monster, sewing together everything he could.

    The good news was that with each shot of an arrow, there were always Blessings that activated, and in considerable numbers at that. The bad news was that there could be some conflict between one Blessing and another.

    But that was inevitable, after all, he had chosen option C for all of them, so a bug cropping up afterward was within expectations.

    However, it wasn''t a big issue. As long as there were enough Blessings, a little conflict didn''t really matter.

    Ma Lu was no longer satisfied with just those lowly ingredients; he set his sights afar, nning to look for some truly fearsome game.

    Then his eyes went blind.

    As it turned out, constantly avoiding looking at the sun was somewhat challenging, especially when you were standing high enough and looking in all directions.

    Fortunately, Ma Lu knew that the blindness would onlyst ten seconds, and besides, he was currently in a safe area. After meditating with his eyes closed for a short while, his vision returned to normal.

    When he opened his eyes again, he saw Boggy staring intently in a certain direction, with a grave expression.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "It''s Sanrew, he''s here too."

    Ma Lu followed Boggy''s gaze and saw a figure.

    At first nce, there was nothing particrly noteworthy.

    Unlike the leaders of the dark forces with ferocious faces that Ma Lu remembered, Sanrew seemed very quiet.

    He was neither tall nor short, with a very ordinary square face, a cleanly shaven beard, and clean fingernails without any filth, all details indicative of a man who took personal hygiene seriously.

    Besides these, there was nothing else particrly memorable about him, and as a leader, he didn''t possess the imposing bulk of Wei Cha.

    If Jinjian was like a sly fox, then Sanrew gave the impression of being a stone.

    You couldn''t tell what he was thinking or predict his next move.

    At that moment, Sanrew was listening to a portly man speaking. Presumably feeling Boggy and Ma Lu''s gaze upon him, he also lifted his head to look this way the next second.

    Their eyes met, but Ma Lu couldn''t discern any emotion in those ck pupils.

    Sanrew turned his head, said something to the man who looked like an official, and then began walking towards them.

    "Boggy, Ma Lu," Sanrew spoke first, "I have heard of your names. Your Hunting Group has be quite famous in the Giant Curtain recently."

    "No, Chief Sanrew, it''s your ck Horn that''s truly renowned by everyone."

    Perhaps detecting a hint of sarcasm in Boggy''s words, Sanrew seemed unfazed as he responded.

    "Do you think those hunting groups will abide by thew and live harmoniously beyond the city walls without ck Horn? Didn''t you also encounter robbers not so long ago? In the end, isn''t it still about who has the mightier fist in this desert?"

    Sanrew then pointed towards the beast herd outside the city, "Now is the time for us topete with them, to see who has the stronger fist. The winners have the right to survive. You see, survival has never been about justice."

 Chapter 82 Guild Commission

    "Chief Sanrew has specificallye to give us a lecture?" Ma Lu said.

    Sanrew shook his head, "I am just here to greet you. Although your Hunting Group doesn''t have many members, the achievements in the recent period have been enough to illustrate your strength. It''s very likely that we will fight side by side in the future.

    "I think at this time we should try to put aside personal grudges and individual preferences, and unite all our strength. What do you say?"

    "Makes sense," Ma Lu nodded.

    Boggy responded solemnly, "Repelling the beast tide and defending the Giant Curtain is the most important thing at the moment. Other matters should make way for this."

    Upon hearing this, Sanrew''s usually expressionless face showed a rare hint of a smile.

    "Good, it looks like we have reached a consensus."

    He seemed to have truly juste to say hello; after his few remarks, he turned and went back to the man he was speaking with before.

    Watching Sanrew''s retreating back, Boggy mused, "When he mentioned personal grudges just now, was he hinting at Jinjian''s affair?"

    "Not necessarily. He might just be probing us," said Ma Lu. "By the way, do you know who that chubby man by his side is?"

    "Vice Chairman Zheng Shi Xun. Rumor has it that Sanrew has many high-ranking friends who have always been protecting ck Horn; that''s why a lot of people know that ck Horn''s business isn''t clean, but they still manage to remain above thew.

    "What about Judge Dionysus, what is his stance towards ck Horn?"

    "Judge Dionysus has always wanted to initiate a trial against Sanrew and those people from ck Horn, but unfortunately, the police don''t cooperate with the arrests, and Judge Dionysus doesn''t really have enough evidence in his hands."

    Boggy paused, "I think we can cooperate with Judge Dionysus to deal with ck Horn, especially since you have just saved his daughter."

    "We could give it a try."

    Even though he said that, Ma Lu didn''t hold much hope for Dionysus. As the First Judge of the Giant Curtain, Dionysus had spent his life abiding by the rules, which were of little use against someone like Sanrew.

    Otherwise, Dionysus wouldn''t have been helpless against ck Horn for such a long time.

    Jinjian once said that the power behind Sanrew was much greater than many people imagined; it didn''t seem to be a lie.

    However, Ma Lu had never thought of bringing Sanrew to justice, let alone tracing up the vine to uproot the corrupt forces behind him as well.

    He had no interest in purifying the political environment of the Giant Curtain; from beginning to end, he had only been considering how to solve the crisis facing his Hunting Group.

    Assassinating Sanrew was obviously the simplest and most economical solution.

    Once Sanrew was dead, ck Horn would be headless, and then ying the card of Dionysus at that moment, those high-profile figures behind Sanrew would be busy disassociating themselves from ck Horn; no one would stand up for a dead person.

    But this matter could only be done secretly, and Ma Lu even nned not to tell Boggy.

    Sanrew clearly had studied Boggy''s character; his speech just now might have been useless to others, but Boggy was indeed the kind of person who would put defending the Giant Curtain above her own safety.

    Thus, she probably wouldn''t attack Sanrew again before the end of the beast tide.

    But Ma Lu didn''t n to let Sanrew live beyond the beast tide, and he suddenly realized that this crisis was, in fact, an excellent opportunity to move against Sanrew.

    In the face of a disaster that could potentially destroy a city, the death of a few Hunters was nothing out of the ordinary.

    If it came down to after the beast tide, Ma Lu was certain that Sanrew would act first.

    However, there''s no rush with that matter for now. ording to Mai Mai''s exnation, the beast tide has only just begun. In history, a beast tide canst as short as two weeks to as long as a month. There will definitely be an opportunity to deal with Chief Sanrewter.

    Inparison, the matter of hunting high-star ingredients is more pressing.

    Ma Lu nced at his Traveler''s Bracelet, noting that there were less than 6 hours left until the end of this hunt.

    Everything is ready, it''s time to make a big score.

    Just then, the Hunter''s Guild also issued a new mission, hoping to recruit more hands to clear the beasts near Gate 1.

    Based on the number and danger level of beasts hunted, the guild would award electric currency and hunting group contribution points.

    Electric currency is equivalent to cash within the Giant Curtain, while contribution points, as Ma Lu understood, were akin to experience points for the hunting group.

    Previously, Twin Sunflower Hunting Group had sessfully advanced to bronze by hunting a Giant w Lord, thus unlocking the rights to use the storage point and the rental function of the Air Transport.

    Going further up, it was said that there were additional services such as emergency rescue, personal insurance, worry-free medical care, restaurant reservations, free car washing, and even golden VIP ess to nightclubs.

    Moreover, as the level increased, the guild''s cut of each hunt would decrease, with Diamond Hunting Groups only subjected to a 1%mission.

    No wonder all hunting groups want to level up, but aside from the somewhat easier progression from unranked to bronze, the contribution points required for advancing further were massive, and there were strict requirements for advancement; one must either hunt sufficiently rare prey or make an exceptional contribution to the city.

    Since the Golden Leopard had recently appeared outside the city, and had killed several teams, many hunting groups were very cautious about epting the mission this time.

    When Boggy and Ma Lu arrived, only five hunting groups had epted the mission.

    Ma Lu looked at the list, and not unexpectedly, me Tooth was there, but s, ck Horn was not.

    Boggy filled out the application form for Twin Sunflower Hunting Group and signed his name underneath.

    After handing the form back to the staff for verification and to get stamped, they sessfully epted the mission.

    20 minutester, Seta and Sadie also arrived at the guild. After entering the city, they first sent the exhausted Mai Mai home to rest, then went home themselves to reassure their parents, beforeing back to regroup with Ma Lu and Boggy.

    Thanks to a 405% stamina bonus, even though they had been on the move for over a dozen hours and had been through several battles, the siblings still looked spirited and showed no signs of fatigue.

    Especially Seta, who was full of enthusiasm. He could feel the explosive power contained within his body; every cell was craving forbat. Read new chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin

    On the way back to the city, apart from crafting several Sand Soil Puppets to help spread blinding conditions, he had no chance to take action and had been holding back until now.

    He had hoped to make big moves this time, but became anxious when he heard the task assigned to him by Ma Lu, protesting,

    "What? Why am I on support again? No, this time I''m not even support, vice captain, you''re just using me as aborer!"

    Ma Lu patted his shoulder, "Can''t help it, who made your Sand Soil Puppets so suitable for hauling? Besides, the captain will be with you too, you two will bring back the prey to the city. Don''t worry, there will definitely be a moment for you to sher. And aren''t you short on money? This time you can definitely make a big profit."

    Hearing about the potential big profit, Seta had no more objections.

    Then, Ma Lu said to Sadie, "You''reing up the wall with me, we''re responsible for the output. It takes time for your Thorns to grow again, right? So, this time, just use conventional weapons. Did you bring the ranged weapon I asked you to?"

    Sadie nodded, "I brought a bow and arrows. I usually practice with them, and they have a longer range too."

    "Good, then let''s get ready to move!"

 Chapter 83: Chapter 83 Procurement

    When Wei Cha saw Boggy and Seta at Gate 1, he visibly froze again, apparently not expecting to encounter people from the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group once more.

    This was already the third meeting between the two parties in merely two hours.

    "You also took on an assignment?" Wei Cha asked, his expression one of surprise.

    "Mhm," Boggy nodded.

    "What guts!" A sharp glint shed in Wei Cha''s eyes, "After youplete the assignment, don''t rush off; I''ll treat you to a drink."

    "Alright."

    "Remember to bring Ma Lu with you."

    "I''ve said it before, stop setting your sights on him. He''s not going to leave the Twin Sunflower."

    "I know, you all went out of the city before to pick him up. It seems that even if your Hunting Group hasn''t been established for long, the bonds between its members are already very deep."

    Wei Cha paused for a moment, "Rest assured, I''ve given up on trying to poach anyone from you. I just want to make a friend. It''s not often I meet young people who suit my temperament."

    "I''ll convey your invitation to him, but he might not have the time," said Boggy.

    The exchange between the two was sinct. Wei Cha was such a person¡ªfrank in character, straightforward in his words, without beating around the bush.

    Byparison, another person was giving Boggy much more of a headache.

    She also hadn''t expected that this cleaning assignment would involve so many acquaintances¡ªthe Harpist Hunting Group had submitted their application just before the deadline as well.

    Guli spotted her in the crowd and immediately walked over.

    "This is too reckless," Guli said with a stern face as soon as he saw her, "I know you want to be a hero of this city like your father, but this is just too reckless."

    "Where have I been reckless?"

    "You must have heard about the tragedy that urred outside Gate 3 before you returned to the city; that Golden Leopard is very likely still nearby," Guli lowered his voice, "Your group is only a Bronze Level Hunting Group, you shouldn''t be taking on such dangerous assignments."

    "Err, we have the strength to protect ourselves."

    "No, after the gate opens don''t move out of my sight. Our two Hunting Groups will move together..."

    "Captain Guli," Boggy cut him off, "May I ask you a question? If this assignment is so dangerous, why are you still here?"

    "Of course, it''s to maintain the honor of the Harpist," Guli asserted, "We are one of the only four Diamond Level Hunting Groups in the Giant Curtain. How could we fall behind at a time like this? If your father were still here, he would do the same."

    Boggy fell silent again after hearing this response, especially when she saw the white hairs at Guli''s temples and the wrinkles around his eyes, the words that had been on the tip of her tongue were now impossible to speak. Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin

    When she was still a part of the Harpist Hunting Group, her rtionship with Guli had not been very harmonious; the two had more than once engaged in an argument.

    After Li''s death, the decline of the Harpist was inevitable, yet many people were still immersed in past glories, unwilling to ept reality.

    In their eyes, Guli as the acting leader was clearly not up to par; under his leadership, one might say the Hunting Group went from bad to worse.

    But Boggy knew that to keep the Harpist afloat, Guli had done everything he possibly could.

    In a certain sense, the dilemmas she and Guli faced were the same.

    Her psychic power wasn''t enough to make her an exemry hunter, and though Guli might be a good one, his talents were still far from what was required for a captain of a Diamond Level Hunting Group.

    Yet, it was fate that pushed them into positions that didn''t suit them, forcing them to shoulder responsibilities they couldn''t handle.

    For the first time, Boggy realized the former glory of Li and Harpist was such a heavy burden, it didn''t feel like a gift but more like a curse.

    Guli wanted to persuade further, but Boggy interjected, "The city gates are about to open, and we''ll be busy thereafter. We won''t be apanying Captain Guli and your team, but if you find yourselves in danger and need help, just call my name."

    Having said that, Boggy mounted his motorcycle.

    Ma Lu and Sadie were already positioned on top of the city walls, an elevated location with a clear field of vision, ideal for archers tounch their attack.

    In fact, Ma Lu had his eye on a group of Red-bellied Rattlesnakes just in front of Gate 1. Being 2-star ingredients, they were also not cheap on the Giant Curtain market, with a single one selling for about 90 Electric Degrees.

    However, it was currently the beast tide season¡ªwith wild beasts in abundance, the city''s market prices had also dropped significantly. But even at their lowest, one could still fetch about 30 Electric Degrees for each. Coupled with subsidies given out by the union, the ie could be substantial inrge numbers.

    Besides, without clearing out these creatures, they wouldn''t be able to hunt the rarer beasts lurking behind.

    Ma Lu and Sadie didn''t wait for the city gates to open before they started their preemptive action.

    [Explosive Divine Arrow] matched with [Pain Link], a single arrow took down double-digit numbers of Red-bellied Rattlesnakes.

    Explosions echoed one after another!

    In just three minutes, Ma Lu and Sadie had taken down at least two hundred Red-bellied Rattlesnakes, clearing a substantial area in front of the city gate.

    When Gate 1 opened, everyone was greeted by the sight of dead snakes all over the ground.

    While Guli and others were still in shock, Boggy and Seta were already out of the city on their motorcycle.

    To guard against the Golden Leopard''s ambush, Boggy created three water rings that floated around his body.

    Although the water ringscked attack and defensive power, they would break upon contact, making them excellent for early warnings, especially against stealth units.

    Seta''s preparation was much more simple and brutal. He donned threeyers of heavy armor, transforming himself into a walking iron canister.

    His armor weighed over 260 pounds, too heavy for an average person to walk in, let alone hunt.

    But it was only possible for him to maneuver like this because the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group had a 465% strength boost.

    After leaving the city, the two headed straight for the Red-bellied Rattlesnakes and began collecting them into the cargo box attached to the motorcycle.

    The nearby wild beasts noticed them and swarmed towards them like moths drawn to mes.

    However, Boggy and Seta were solely focused on picking up the dead prey on the ground, leaving the live beasts to Ma Lu and Sadie unless they encountered any that slipped through the cracks, and then they would finish them off.

    Explosions erupted intermittently beside them. The beasts charged furiously, but before they could get close, they would fall in swathes, like wheat during the harvest.

    Soon, therge cargo box at the back of the vehicle was full, as was the cart dragged by the Sand Soil Puppet.

    So Boggy and Seta returned to the city to drop off the loot at the foot of the wall and then hurried out again to continue filling up.

    Including Wei Cha, everyone else was by now dumbfounded. The gates had been open for a good ten minutes, but the other hunting groups hadn''t even left the city yet.

    They were so engrossed in watching Boggy and Seta picking up loot non-stop that it felt like they were not hunting but restocking from outside the city.

 Chapter 84: Chapter 84 Emperor Redback Scorpion

    Someone''s throat made a gurgling noise.

    Although the prey the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group found was not rare, the sheer quantity was overwhelming, with Boggy and Seta bringing back around two thousand catties of goods each time they left the city.

    And since it was right at the city gate, hauling it back was very convenient, and they could make a trip in no time¡ªit was basically like picking up money.

    This made many people envious, but those who dared to take onmissions at the risk of being attacked by the Golden Leopard were generally not small hunting groups.

    Having watched for so long, they had also noticed that the beasts were being shot dead by people on the city walls, and clearly, the archers were Twin Sunflower Hunting Group members.

    They couldn''t bring themselves to snatch another hunting group''s prey in front of everyone. However, what puzzled Wei Cha and the others was why those arrows were so powerful, some even exploding upon hitting the ground.

    What kind of psychic power was this?

    Once released, Wei Cha''s Sea of mes covered an evenrger area, but the problem was that, despite his tireless training over the years, he could at most deploy the Sea of mes five or six times in a battle.

    The twin on the city wall, however, seemed to have an endless supply of psychic power.

    The explosions outside the city had almost never ceased, but these sounds also rmed more wild beasts nearby, drawing them in this direction.

    Wei Cha stopped watching themotion and turned to his teammates, "Let''s go, we should start too. Even if we can''t match them, we can''t fall too far behind!"

    As the me Tooth''s members sprang into action, the other hunting groups also snapped out of their trance. No matter how many beasts others hunted, it meant money for them, and that had nothing to do with these groups.

    They too seized the opportunity to hunt more beasts, which would not only alleviate the pressure on the Giant Curtain but also to trade them for money in the market.

    Only the Harpist Hunting Group remained motionless.

    With his mohawk, Tuck swallowed his saliva, "They''re killing faster than they pick up. So many end up being eaten by the beasts that follow; it''s such a waste. How about you ask them, Chief? We can help them pick up, then split the profits fifty-fifty, or even thirty-seventy."

    Guli had yet to speak when Chi Qi already snorted coldly, "Is that all the ambition you have?"

    Tuck''s temper red, and he turned, grabbing Chi Qi by the cor, "Hah?! Boggy and I are friends. What''s wrong with helping each other? I never agreed to Boggy leaving in the first ce; wasn''t it you who always wanted to be vice-leader and forced Boggy out?!"

    Chi Qi sneered, "If you were such good friends, why didn''t you leave with her back then? At the end of the day, didn''t you also think she wasn''t strong enough? Now you''re jealous seeing her do well and want to cozy up to her. Isn''t that low?"

    "Chi Qi!" Even the usually good-tempered Guli was rarely angry and looked more serious than ever, "Don''t talk about your teammates like that. Apologize to Tuck right now."

    After speaking, he then turned to Tuck who was already clenching his fists, ready to strike.

    "And you too. With so many hunting groups here, do you want to tarnish the reputation of the Harpist Hunting Group and let othersugh at us?"

    "Damn it!" Tuck cursed, but in the end, he retracted his hand.

    Chi Qi apologized expressionlessly.

    Guli sighed. The rest of the team seemed used to such disputes, showing little reaction and remaining cold spectators.

    Just then, Seta pulled up on a motorbike with another load of prey, and behind him followed a Sand Soil Puppet, pushing a cart also piled high with goods.

    "Make way, make way! Thank you, thank you, we are in a hurry!"

    Seta roared as he pulled the cargo to the wall, unloading it as quickly as possible, and then hurriedly mounted his motorcycle and rode out of the city.

    His figure, d in three sets of armor, appeared somewhatical and ridiculous, yet not a single member of the Harpist Hunting Group could find it in themselves tough.

    Chi Qi said, "Boggy doesn''t have this kind of skill, and although the others in the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group are fairly strong, they aren''t powerful to this extent, so the problem must lie with their mysterious deputy leader; he is the key to the rise of Twin Sunflower."

    "Why concern ourselves with the affairs of someone else''s family?" Guli said with a stern face, "Boggy was once a member of Harpist. Now that she has found a better ce for herself, we should all be happy for her and focus on our own affairs. Let''s go, it''s time for us to start hunting."

    He then continued to offer advice, incessantly reminding them, "Remember not to stray too far from the city gateter on, so if there''s danger, we can retreat at a moment''s notice. And don''t spread out, form a circle to prevent being attacked from all sides..."

    However, before he could finish, Tuck had already grasped his mechanical spear and left the city.

    A sneer appeared on the corner of Chi Qi''s mouth, "Didn''t I tell you? Indulging them like this will only make everyone think you''re easy to bully."

    "Wait till you''ve really be the deputy leader of Harpist before you start giving me orders," Guli said indifferently.

    "That day won''t be far away," Chi Qi shrugged his shoulders, "When I be the deputy leader, the first thing I''ll do is help you reorganize the Hunting Group, kick out the unruly brats. Harpist, after all, is a Diamond Level Hunting Group, a legend of the Giant Curtain; it''s downright miserable how far it''s fallen today."

    "I''m warning you, don''t get carried away. I''ll be watching you. Now, unleash your power," Guli said.

    Chi Qi didn''t say anything more. He chanted the spell, and in the next moment, a gust of wind whipped up the sand, enveloping the members of the Harpist Hunting Group.

    Eachmissioned Hunting Group had their own methods to deal with a Golden Leopard attack, but probably only Boggy truly hoped that the terrifying beast would appear again.

    Although Ma Lu always came to exhibit his Meat Pigeon Ability.

    But Boggy could distinctly feel that this time was different; her body was stronger than ever before.

    Strength, stamina, speed, reaction ¨C all had been enhanced to a new height.

    The world seemed to slow down in her eyes, and now Boggy felt that she could defeat any opponent.

    But she was also aware that this state would onlyst a few more hours, and once Ma Lu left, all the magic would fade, and she would revert to being amon hunter once again.

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    So if she wanted revenge, now was the best opportunity.

    However, the Golden Leopard did not show up again, but something else was stirred. The massacre by Ma Lu and Sadie had finally drawn the attention of some powerful beasts

    ¡ª the Emperor Redback Scorpion.

    This scorpion was asrge as a fully grown yak, its back a dark red, with a pair of median eyes in the middle and six side eyes at the front. Its tail was almost as sturdy as its body with a huge sting at the end, clearly not something to mess with!

    And around it, there followed a swarm of scorpions. Although they didn''t look as big as the Emperor, they wereparable in size to small dogs, like an army escorting their sovereign,ing in a menacing tide.

    However, this tight formation was particrly suited for the [Bursting Divine Arrow]. By the time they reached the city gates, half of the smaller scorpions were already gone.

    And they were particrly loyal, always clustering around the Emperor Redback Scorpion. As one batch fell, another took its ce, as if guarding their monarch.

    But because of this, each explosion also wounded the Emperor Redback Scorpion, which meant that by the time it reached the city gates, the imposing Emperor Redback Scorpion hadn''t even had a chance to strike before it was dead.

 Chapter 85: Chapter 85 Charge

    Ma Lu hadn''t expected the battle to end so effortlessly, especially since the Emperor Redback Scorpion had the appearance of a formidable opponent.

    Moreover, it had made quite an entrance, with many wild beasts eagerly avoiding both it and its army.

    He had thought that if it wasn''t a Lu Bu, at the very least it would be a Hua Xiong, but it turned out to be just a Pan Feng.

    However, its star level was not low, just like the Spiked Whip Spider Queen, it was also a 4-star ingredient.

    Unfortunately, it still did not meet Ma Lu''s requirements.

    But Seta still dragged it back to the city, which not only stirred the Hunting Group tasked with clearing out the beasts but also roused the Hunter''s Guild, which sent representatives to examine the situation.

    And the crowd had already gathered around Ma Lu and Sadie on the city walls.

    Sadie was somewhat introverted and not good at socializing; with her brother Seta not by her side, she felt even more nervous under the gaze of so many people, resulting in her next few arrows going astray.

    But since she aimed at areas dense with beasts, no one could tell, and as explosions rang out in session and prey fell in heaps, the crowd let out exmations of amazement.

    Compared to her, Ma Lu was much calmer. His archery skills were sloppy anyway, so since he couldn''t shoot urately regardless, he naturally felt no psychological pressure.

    Moreover, the blessings on him were nearly maxed out; it was his enemies who should be feeling pressured.

    However, the presence of so many people also had its inconveniences; he couldn''t engage in any small tricks.

    Sanrew wasn''t there, but Chi Qi was.

    Ma Lu had wanted to aim his hand crossbow towards Chi Qi several times but ultimately restrained himself.

    First, there were already quite a few people around him, and second, Boggy clearly still harbored feelings for Harpist, so eliminating the Hunting Group''s promising new star would probably be hard for her to ept.

    Fortunately, Ma Lu soon found a new target, as the death of the Emperor Redback Scorpion had drawn the attention of other powerful beasts.

    The creature that arrived this time resembled the Lava Giant Lizard that Ma Lu had encountered before, but it was twice its size and had a pair of wings on its back, somewhat like a dragon from Western legends.

    Only,pared to a standard dragon, its wings seemed miniaturized.

    Perhaps its ancestors had once soared freely in the skies, but with the passage of time, their descendants grew more ustomed to life onnd and gradually lost the ability to fly.

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    Nevertheless, this also indicated that there were few creatures left onnd that could threaten it.

    Since the giant beast had not yet entered the scanning range of the Traveler''s Bracelet, Ma Lu had no way of knowing its level for the time being, but from Sadie''s and the others'' reactions, it seemed this new arrival was also a heavyweight contender.

    Ma Lu raised his hand crossbow and fired a barrage!

    However, it was unclear whether the target had too much health or its armor was too strong, as the surrounding explosions seemed to be nothing more than mild irritants to the giant lizard.

    So, Ma Lu decisively changed his strategy, foregoing the lesser beasts to directly attack the main threat.

    Although it was still difficult to inflict significant damage, he seeded in afflicting the target with status effects, notably, a slow effect which immediately reduced the giant lizard''s movement speed by 50%.

    However, it seemed the high-star prey possessed a kind of hidden magic resistance, as the slow effect, which should havested 15 seconds, ended after just 10 seconds.

    But soon, a weakness took hold, causing a dramatic fall in four basic attributes, and the giant beast finally showed signs of panic.

    It drove the pair of wings on its back into the sand, using them inbination with its limbs to elerate its advance, and even began to dodge arrows shot from the city walls, no longer using its body to resist!

    Tsk tsk tsk, how cunning!

    Now, unless a [Headshot] effect was triggered, Ma Lu found it increasingly difficult to hit the wily giant lizard.

    As the distance between them continued to shorten, a prompt from the Traveler''s Bracelet rang in Ma Lu''s ears.

    ¡ª¡ªDing! Congrattions on discovering a 5-star ingredient, [Earth Dragon]. The [Earth Dragon]pendium entry has been unlocked.

    The good news was that the 5-star ingredient Ma Lu had longed for had finally appeared; the bad news was it seemed to be stronger than he had imagined.

    To be rated as a 5-star ingredient, one generally had to be a terrifying entity living in the Death Forbidden Zone.

    Normally, it would require a team of more than 30 people to hunt it.

    Wei Cha and the others had also noticed the Earth Dragon charging toward the city gates, their faces all showing a grave expression.

    This level of beast was not something a single Hunting Group could handle; the leader of me Tooth was ready to unite with a few other hunting groups, but before he could even speak, Boggy had already twisted the throttle and charged forward.

    Wei Cha knew that young people were often impulsive, but he hadn''t expected the young leader of Twin Sunflower to be so impulsive, to charge without a word!

    The problem was that Boggy was alone.

    Her solo charge on a motorcycle against the vast horde of beasts was exceptionally resolute and shocking, making Wei Cha and the others look on in dumbfounded awe.

    Meanwhile, Seta, stimted by this scene, was boiling with enthusiasm. He had just filled a box with game and was transporting it to the city when he saw what happened and immediately turned his vehicle around.

    However, because the cargo behind him was too heavy, no matter what he did, he couldn''t keep up with Boggy ¨C instead, the gap widened, making him yell in frustration.

    In the end, he decided to just go for it and forcefully broke off the tow hook at the back of his vehicle, which immediately lightened it.

    Shouting, "Don''t touch my cargo, I''ll be back soon!" Seta also charged over.

    At this point, Boggy was less than ten meters away from the Earth Dragon. She jumped off the motorcycle, each hand holding a Mechanical Spear.

    She hurled the Mechanical Spear in her left hand first; with a power boost of nearly 500%, the spear turned into a meteor and crashed directly toward the Earth Dragon!

    Thetter had no time to dodge, and its massive body was harshly struck!

    Even its tough scales couldn''t fully block Boggy''s mighty throw; the Mechanical Spear prated beneath the scales into the flesh, and while not too deep, it still caused the Earth Dragon to emit a roar of pain.

    Boggy didn''t stay in ce; she stepped forward and continued to sprint toward her target, her running speed even surpassing that of the full-speed motorcycle.

    But the Earth Dragon''s movements were not slow either. Its tail was already whipping toward Boggy. With a bend of the knees, Boggy leaped from the ground, vaulting over the thick tailing her way!

    She then grabbed the Mechanical Spear sticking out from the side of the Earth Dragon, performed a gymnastics twist rotating one and a half times, and slung herself back into the air.

    Twisting her body to brush past a w of the Earth Dragon, she then aimed at its neck and hurled the remaining Mechanical Spear in her hand!

    A burst of blood exploded on the right side of the Earth Dragon''s neck!

    Immediately after, Boggy began to fall,nding on the dragon''s back, grasping the Mechanical Spear with both hands, and yanking it out again.

    A series of exmations erupted from the crowd behind Ma Lu, some people''s jaws nearly dropping to the ground.

    Many of them were hunters, but none had ever seen a spectacle like this ¨C could these really be movements possible for the human body?!

    At that moment, Seta also entered the fray.

    He first created a Sand Soil Puppet to advance and embrace one of the Earth Dragon''s forelimbs. At the same time, the Earth Dragon felt its right hind leg suddenly sink down; the ground had mysteriously formed a quicksand pit at some point.

 Chapter 86 A Little Closer

    Seta, while manipting the Sand Soil Puppet, wasn''t idle either¡ªhe charged forward with a war hammer in hand, hollering fiercely as he went.

    However, the Earth Dragon''s body was tough enough that even though Seta''s strength was incredibly enhanced, using a blunt weapon like the hammer could hardly cause any serious damage unless he struck the dragon''s head just right.

    Moreover, there were many other beasts nearby, and Seta also had to split his attention to cope with their siege.

    Compared to him, Boggy, who had jumped onto the back of the Earth Dragon, undoubtedly had a much better situation for dealing damage.

    But Seta, d in heavy armor and with defensive power maximized, sacrificed agility as a result and could only continue to stay on the ground.

    Fortunately, Sadie''s support arrived quickly, using [Bursting Divine Arrow] to help her brother clear the nearby smaller beasts.

    At this time, it wasn''t a good idea for Ma Lu to shoot recklessly, in case he identally injured Boggy or Seta.

    He nced at the time and just as [Super Mimicry Show] was about to refresh, he boldly leaped off the city wall.

    A series of exmations followed behind him, as the onlookers'' understanding of what was normal was refreshed along with it.

    A 16-meter-high city wall, and someone dared to jump from it¡ªare they tired of living?

    Of course, Ma Lu wasn''t tired of living. The reason he dared to do so was not only because his base attributes were high but mainly because he had just received a Golden Blessing called [Faith''s Leap].

    It allowed him to be immune to fall damage from great heights, every 15 minutes.

    Afternding with ease, Ma Lu slightly adjusted his hair then charged towards the Earth Dragon as well.

    The crowd watching the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group''s constant outrageous maneuvers had be somewhat numb to it, feeling like they were watching a sci-fi movie, with a plot that grew increasingly bizarre.

    Wei Cha and the others had already set off, but Ma Lu overtook them midway, getting ahead despite startingter.

    He even signaled to Boggy and Seta while on the run, and the two instantly understood. Boggy jumped down from the back of the Earth Dragon and Seta lifted a Sickle-horned Antelope,unching it like a cannonball.

    The Earth Dragon swatted the Sickle-horned Antelope away with a swipe of its paw, turning it into mush.

    Then, it intended to chase after Boggy, this detestable human who had poked several holes in its back.

    But by this time, Ma Lu had already made his move and by the old rules, first tagged the Earth Dragon with [Now You Conduct Electricity], followed by activating the electric field!

    The next moment, he turned into a power station, connecting himself to the Earth Dragon in front with a giant electric arc as thick as two arms.

    A massive amount of high-voltage electricity coursed through this path into therge body of the Earth Dragon, wreaking havoc inside, destroying its bones, nerves, blood vessels, and muscles!

    For a full 30 seconds!!!

    This was an ultra-luxurious plus version of the electric field with 4 times the damage!

    Even with its tough hide, the Earth Dragon was paralyzed by the electric current, lying on the ground, unable to move.

    And Ma Lu was not the type to fight with honor.

    As soon as the electric field ended, he pulled out his Chef''s Knife and signaled for Boggy and Seta to join in.

    Together, the three of themunched a final assault on the grounded Earth Dragon!

    Boggy once again leaped into the air, gripping the Mechanical Spear in a reverse grip, and plunged it fiercely into the Earth Dragon''s skull!

    Seta swung his war hammer and shattered both of the Earth Dragon''s eyes.

    As for Ma Lu, he made a one-square-meter opening in the Earth Dragon''s chest, plunged the Chef''s Knife in, and started to stir wildly.

    When Wei Cha and others arrived, they were greeted with this shocking scene.

    The three from Twin Sunflower stood in front of the Earth Dragon''s massive body, covered in blood, like warriors from hell.

    Even Wei Cha, a veteran of countless battles, had a moment of daze, not to mention the other hunters.

    Three people, well, maybe four including the little girl shooting arrows on the city wall, had taken down a formidable beast that lived in the Death Forbidden Zone.

    This utterly overturned everyone''s conventional understanding.

    Chi Qi''s face was nearly as dark as a storm cloud.

    ```

    He knew that after today, the name Twin Sunflower would spread across the entire Giant Curtain, and no one would be unaware of this small Hunting Group that had just been established for a month.

    By then, people would certainly be curious as to why Li''s daughter had left her father''s Hunting Group.

    Chi Qi''s gaze towards Boggy was dark and hostile, as he quietly clenched the short de at his waist.

    Boggy felt something and looked in Chi Qi''s direction, only to see Chi Qi''s body sway and fall to the ground.

    "Golden Leopard, it''s the Golden Leopard!" someone eximed in rm, "Be careful! It''s back!"

    The crowd burst into amotion upon hearing this.

    No one had expected the Golden Reaper, which had been quiet for so long, to strike again at such a time.

    Wei Cha snorted coldly and immediately released a Sea of mes, protecting everyone from the me Fang Hunting Group inside it.

    Hunters from other Hunting Groups were also busy forming up, hastily deploying their Psychic Powers, readying themselves forbat.

    Ma Lu was also startled, having finally obtained a 5-star ingredient, he most certainly did not want to be thwarted at thest moment by the Golden Leopard.

    Although the Traveler''s Bracelet came with an ingredient detection function, it could only scan once every half minute and had a diameter of only 20 meters.

    With the speed of the Golden Leopard, this half-minute cooldown was enough for him to die twenty times over.

    However, this was no trouble for him, and the next moment Ma Lu had already leaped to Boggy''s side,ing close under her somewhat astonished gaze.

    "Squeeze in, squeeze in, your water rings should be able to amodate two people, right?"

    Boggy was momentarily taken aback, but she knew the situation was special, so without any hesitation, she nodded and said,

    "Can do, get a bit closer to me."

    "Okay." Ma Lu took another half step forward, almost close enough to touch Boggy. Boggy took a deep breath and used the Earth Dragon''s blood on the ground to create three water rings, encircling both herself and Ma Lu in the middle.

    Then she realized her vision waspletely blocked by someone''s chest.

    Ma Lu, on the other hand, wasn''t much affected; his gaze jumped over Boggy''s head, vigntly surveying their surroundings.

    Boggy felt awkward and coughed, "Let''s... change our orientation."

    "What?"

    "You''re blocking me."

    "Oh oh oh oh."

    Upon hearing this, Ma Lu quickly shuffled his feet, switching to stand back to back with Boggy.

    Boggy hesitated, then added, "Closer still."

    "Huh? I still have some space here."

    "Water rings only act as an early warning and don''t provide protection, so we need to leave as much space on the outside as possible, to give us more time to react." Boggy feltpelled to exin.

    "This size is nearly my limit, it used to be just one person, but now with two, we must stand very close, back to back."

    "You sure?"

    "Stop talking nonsense, the Golden Leopard is still nearby!"

    "Alright."

    So Ma Lu stepped back again, his body pressing against Boggy''s.

    Back in school Boggy had also practiced fighting in pairs, acting as a barrier for each other, but they had never stood this close together to maintain flexibility.

    They were almost clinging to each other, especially the sensations from their backs and hips were very distinct.

    Although Boggy usually behaved like a boy, she wasn''t actually a boy, and it was difficult to be entirely unconcerned, so she forced herself to focus her attention elsewhere.

    ```

 Chapter 87: Chapter 87 Looking Forward

    Hearing that the Golden Leopard had shown itself again, the hunters outside the city all tensed up, staying on guard.

    Yet, aside from Harpist Chi Qi from the Harpist Hunting Group, nobody else fell victim to an attack.

    Still, new beasts had begun to converge toward them; Wei Cha and the others maintained their vignce while retreating in an orderly fashion toward the Giant Curtain.

    "Let''s go too," Ma Lu said.

    Although their small squad currently had an ample amount of blessings to continue fighting and further expand their victories, their mission to hunt for five-star ingredients was alreadyplete this trip. Even if they bagged more prey, they couldn''t carry them back.

    Moreover, the haul they had now was already astonishingly rich. In such situations, it was best to y it safe, to prevent tion from turning into dismay¡ªespecially with the Golden Leopard lurking with watchful eyes nearby.

    "Fine by me," Boggy replied without objections.

    However, the coordination of the two was so clumsy that just standing still was a challenge, let alone moving.

    When Ma Lu tried to step forward with his left leg, it happened to coincide with Boggy stepping forward with her left too, causing his left to bump into her right. This tripped Boggy slightly, almost causing her to fall.

    To maintain her bnce and avoid touching the water ring on her chest, Boggy subconsciously wrapped an arm around Ma Lu''s waist.

    "Sorry!"

    They both blurted out at once. Boggy quickly withdrew her hand and adjusted her breathing.

    "Let''s sync our steps. I''ll count one, two, three. I''ll step with my right, and you with your left, then we''ll alternate," she suggested.

    "Good idea."

    Yet even with synchronized step sequences, due to different stride lengths, their movement was still fraught with stumbles.

    Several times, Ma Lu nearly stepped on Boggy''s shoes, and she had to repeatedly reach back to grab onto something to keep her bnce.

    Just as they were about to reach the motorcycle, Ma Lu suddenly pped his forehead.

    "Wait, I almost forgot. We''ve got to take that Earth Dragon back. Let''s head back," he said.

    "Huh?"

    "Seta alone, plus his puppet, probably can''t drag it. We need to lend a hand."

    Having not detected the Golden Leopard with the Traveler''s Bracelet for so long, Ma Lu''s courage grew once more.

    But Boggy really didn''t fancy a repeat of that ordeal. The short journey had left her somewhat breathless, not to mention she had to stay vignt for an attack from the Golden Leopard and squeeze around in tight spaces with Ma Lu...

    Now she felt dizzy all over, the enhancements in her reflexes seemed utterly useless. She hadn''t struggled this much even when facing the Earth Dragon earlier.

    However, they certainly couldn''t abandon the prey they had worked so hard to capture.

    The Earth Dragon was incredibly valuable, not just its meat. Every part of it was treasured, and such a dragon could easily fetch over three million Electric Degrees on the market.

    Even at current rates, it could sell for two million seven or eight hundred thousand¡ªundoubtedly a huge sum of money.

    "Let''s get in the vehicle first, then we can turn back," Boggy eventually figured out a solution.

    It wasn''t until she got on the motorcycle that Boggy finally breathed a sigh of relief, and her heart rate, which had soared earlier, gradually steadied. Find your next adventure on m_v l|e-NovelBin

    The leader of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group didn''t want to show her earlier difort and took the initiative to speak up.

    "Next time when I tell you to move closer, just do it, don''t be all shy and hesitant. I''m not going to eat you," she said.

    "You don''t mind?"

    "Why should I mind?"

    Boggy retorted, raising her voice a notch to cover her nervousness.

    "How could I possibly mind? It''s out of the question. Stay as close as you need for as long as you need. As the squad leader, it''s my responsibility to protect each member of the team. And besides, it''s all about... brotherhood, yes, that''s it¡ªbrotherhood!"

    "Oh, oh, oh, but aren''t you a woman?"

    "Women can''t have brothers..." Boggy trailed off before suddenly stopping and widening her eyes, "How did you know?!"

    "Uh... didn''t you tell me yourself outside the container that day?"

    "You heard that?" Boggy hit the brakes hard, almost throwing Ma Lu off the back seat, "Why didn''t you tell me earlier?"

    "Ah, because you never brought it up again, I thought you liked the way we were getting along now."

    "You knew everything and still kept sticking close to me?!''" Boggy''s face flushed red in an instant.

    "That... wasn''t it you who asked me to stick close?" Ma Lu said cautiously.

    "......"

    The three members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group worked together to drag the Earth Dragon back to the city, and together with the Emperor Redback Scorpion from earlier, as well as various other items, this haul exceeded everyone''s expectations!

    It even attracted quite a few merchants who ran straight to the city gates to wait to purchase.

    However, Boggy didn''t immediately start bargaining with those merchants but instead went towards the Harpist Hunting Group after greeting them.

    After Chi Qi got injured, Guli didn''t abandon him, but instead carried him back at the risk of being attacked by a Golden Leopard, yet the emergency medical team at the edge of the city shook their heads at the other members of the Harpist after checking him.

    "Notify his family."

    The male doctor didn''t even use a stethoscope, just checked Chi Qi''s eyelids and nced at the wound on his neck before making this deration.

    There were two blood holes on Chi Qi''s neck, each as wide as three fingers, clearly left by the teeth of some fierce beast, as they had almost snapped his throat.

    Guli''s face was awful to look at.

    Boggy could understand his frustration; the current situation of the Harpist was not good, and its attractiveness to top hunters had been declining. They had finally unearthed a promising new member, yet before he could make a name for himself, he died like this.

    "Mourn his loss."

    "It''s my fault, I should not have epted thismission," Guli muttered, "Our strength is not up to other Hunting Groups, not sufficient to cope with the Golden Leopard''s attack, and I should have known Chi Qi wouldn''t just listen to me."

    At that time, the people of the Harpist had already been outside the city for a while and had gradually let down their guard. Moreover, everyone was distracted by the battle between the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group and the Earth Dragon, including Chi Qi who didn''t continue to manipte the wind and sand to provide cover for the team.

    It was such a small mistake that cost him his life, and Boggy didn''t know what to say.

    She had always had a strained rtionship with Chi Qi, not to mention that he had once hired hitmen to try and kill the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group.

    She had intended to talk to Chi Qi in private over the next couple of days, but now she didn''t know what the result would have been; to be honest, Chi Qi''s death actually resolved quite a few problems for her.

    It was just a pity for Guli, the future of the Harpist he had high hopes for was gone just like that. Such a blow could only add to the misfortunes of the already troubled Hunting Group.

    Boggy sighed and said to Guli, "Have you ever thought about just disbanding the Hunting Group? With Uncle Guli''s strength, I''m sure no Hunting Group would reject you."

    "What are you talking about? Disband the Harpist, no, that''s impossible, absolutely not," Guli refused without even thinking.

    "This is the Hunting Group my father left behind, and as his sessor, it''s my duty to protect it. Unless I die, even if I''m the only one left, the Harpist will continue to exist."

    "Alright, forget I said anything." Boggy could only swallow the words she had nned to say next.

    She didn''t speak, but Guli had something to say.

    "You''ve changed."

    The leader of the Harpist Hunting Group looked into the young girl''s eyes and said.

    "No, the powerful strength you see doesn''t truly belong to me," Boggy shook her head.

    "I''m not talking about your strength. Of course, your strength has also improved a lot. You are now an outstanding hunter who would make your father proud. If he were still alive, he''d surely be very gratified."

    "Maybe."

    "But you''ve changed, the past you treasured what he left behind, and would never have said something like disbanding the Harpist," Guli seemed a bit puzzled, "What exactly changed you?"

    "I don''t know," Boggy said, "Maybe I just suddenly realized that the past is past, and no matter how hard we try, it won''te back. So maybe it''s time to look forward."

 Chapter 88: Chapter 88 Flameheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew

    Thwack! Ma Lu pped his palm.

    "Now, you can open your eyes and look forward."

    The hardware store owner didn''t open his eyes as he was told, but after ring his nostrils twice, he said, "Earth Dragon meat?"

    "Hey, has anyone told you that having such a keen nose will make you miss out on a lot of fun in life?"

    Yan Wu ignored Ma Lu and slowly opened his eyes.

    In front of him, there were three oranges on the te.

    Feeling intrigued, Yan Wu picked up his chopsticks, grabbed the top piece of orange peel, and gently lifted it to reveal the meatball inside.

    "Speaking of Earth Dragons, I remember there was a ne full of deserts where the Earth Dragon meat was the most delicious. However, the Earth Dragons there also had a strong earthy taste. Ordinary chefs would use a lot of seasoning when cooking, but this would destroy the fresh vor of the Earth Dragon."

    "Have you been to many ces before?" Ma Lu asked curiously upon hearing this.

    "Mhm, back then I was young and energetic with nothing to do, and I had my own nar airship, so I traveled all over the Multiverse."

    A hint of nostalgia shed in Yan Wu''s eyes, "I once swore to traverse the entire Multiverse, to taste all the delicacies, see all the beautiful sights, and screw all the beautiful women with fluffy tails. But then I got to Earth and stopped."

    "Why, did you fall in love with someone here? Who was it, what''s their name, are they still here?"

    Ma Lu''s curiosity was ignited.

    "No, my airship broke." The Werewolf said, "And this damn ce is so remote, it''s impossible to connect to The Grand Alliancework. I can''t even get through to the repair hotline, and I''ve been stuck here for over a thousand years.

    "To save myself, being originally clueless about machinery, I was forced to learn how to repair. But at that time, material science wasn''t developed here either, and quality steel couldn''t be produced. I struggled for a long time, only to waste my effort."

    "That''s tough."

    "However, this experience somehow made me fall in love with hardware by ident. Looking back, I find it incredible. This is hardware we''re talking about... When I was younger, I never imagined I''d end up on such a path. Life''s encounters really are unpredictable,"mented Yan Wu.

    "Untilter, I met other people and found a way to contact the outside world. But how should I put it? By then, I waspletely fascinated by hardware, and having spent so long in this ne, before I knew it, I had grown into middle age and lost the wildness of my youth.

    "I realized that the days of wandering weren''t quite for me, so I simply settled down here and continued my study of hardware. All in all, my story demonstrates a lesson," the hardware store owner said gravely.

    "Should people be faithful to what they love doing?"

    "No, don''t go to ces without signal. If it wasn''t for me wandering blindly and getting trapped here when I was young, right now I might still be enjoying delicious food, beautiful sights, and making love in front of floor-to-ceiling windows with beautiful women with fluffy tails."

    "Uh, my condolences."

    "I''m just saying, it''s not that I''mining about my current life." The Werewolf said while picking up a meatball with his chopsticks and popping it into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.

    The next moment, his actions suddenly halted, then his eyes widened in surprise, "This is!"

    "Have you felt it?" Ma Lu said, "This is no ordinary Earth Dragon meatball."

    "That''s right, Earth Dragon meat that''s been pounded ten thousand times is just the outeryer. In addition to the ground meat, there are also big chunks of meat inside, making it particrly satisfying to eat."

    Yan Wu closed his eyes again and said hurriedly, "And surprisingly, you didn''t use alcohol or any other strong-vored spices to mask the gamey taste of the Earth Dragon meat. No, except for a little bit of salt, you didn''t add any condiments at all. Tsk, that''s a bold approach.

    "But strangely, the gamey taste has indeed disappeared, and not only that, but the aftertaste is slightly fragrant. The answer must lie in these oranges used to hold the meatballs, right?"

    "Yes, Old Wang hollowed out the oranges to keep the peels, specifically to use the fruit fragrance to dispel the gamey smell."

    "So that''s how it is. I remember that court chefs during the Song Dynasty also had simr cooking techniques. Up to this point, I can still understand, but why does this meatball still contain a trace of me? What else did you put beneath the skin made from Earth Dragon Meat?"

    Yan Wu looked perplexed.

    "The Lava Giant Lizard''s second stomach¡ªthat''s where the Lava Giant Lizard stores its moltenva. Ma Lu brought it back earlier. It hadn''t been eaten and was just sitting in the fridge," Old Wang answered.

    "It was precisely because of this key part that all the culinary conditions for the meheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew were met."

    "meheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew?" Yan Wu savored the taste in his mouth, then tilted his head back and swallowed it all, grinning, "Delicious!"

    His chopsticks never stopped. As he spoke, he picked up the second orange meatball and popped it into his mouth.

    A hint of joy appeared in Ma Lu''s eyes.

    Yan Wu''s reaction was within his expectations. Ma Lu and Old Wang initially nned to select a three-star recipe and then rely on Old Wang''s 25% chance of additional star ability after advancing to Level 2 to whip up a four-star dish. Continue your journey on m|v-l''e -NovelBin

    However, when he returned this time, he identally discovered that the materials for the already four-star Deliciousness Index "meheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew" were conveniently avable.

    Consequently, Ma Lu decisively chose this dish toplete Yan Wu''s task.

    And Old Wang was quite lucky this time; the added star was triggered on just the second portion.

    That meant the dish currently in front of Yan Wu actually boasted a high Deliciousness Index of four stars and one star.

    It represented the pinnacle of The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall¡ªthe absolute zenith among peaks!

    "It''s too delicious!" Yan Wu swallowed all three orange meatballs into his stomach, then reluctantly put down his chopsticks,vishing generous praise without hesitation.

    "I really haven''t tasted such deliciousness in a very long time!"

    "I''m d you''re satisfied," Ma Lu said, "It looks like we''ve passed your test. Can you give us those three High-Dimensional Artifacts now?"

    However, upon hearing this, the hardware store owner shook his head, "No."

    "Hmm? You''ve already said it''s delicious, are you nning to go back on your word?" Ma Lu frowned.

    "No," the Werewolf said with a cunning smile, "It''s true that the dish you made is tasty, and I''m quite satisfied, but do you remember the condition we agreed upon?"

    "To make a dish that satisfies you?"

    "No, what I said was ''move me''. I wanted you to make a dish that could move me."

    "Are you trying to y word games with us now?"

    Ma Lu''s expression had turned rather unfriendly.

    "This is bing rather uninteresting, Old Yan. You wouldn''t have had the intention to withhold the three High-Dimensional Artifacts from us from the start, would you? If that were the case, you should''ve just said so. There''s no need to lead us on like this."

    Yet, Yan Wu''s gaze seemed innocent, "That''s really not the case; if you don''t believe me, you can ask around¡ªwhether it''s that pigeon or the residents of the nearby neighborhood, they will all tell you that in business, Yan Wu always prioritizes honesty and never cheats or deceives."

    "Then what would it take to move you?"

    "I don''t know."

    "Ha?"

    "I''m just a hardware store owner. You are the Cosmic Chefs. How to create a dish that can move a diner, that should be within your field of expertise, shouldn''t it?" Yan Wu spread his hands.

 Chapter 89: Chapter 89 Watching the Store

    "I think that werewolf was just messing with us, hoping to use that excuse to keep eating and drinking for free here."

    Ma Lu said to Old Wang during the afternoon stall setup.

    However, this time Old Wang had a different opinion.

    "He''s right, creating dishes that move the hearts of customers is indeed a cosmic chef''s responsibility," he said. "Actually, I wanted to tell youst time, dishes are not necessarily better just because they have more stars."

    "Hmm? But higher star dishes are indeed tastier than low-star dishes," Ma Lu said, stroking his chin.

    "The deliciousness index is just a reference, it''s an evaluation metric with some universal applicability, but everyone''s food preferences are actually different."

    "I can understand that, like some people like spicy food, others like sweet, some ces have a lighter taste, and some prefer heavy oil and salt, right?"

    "Exactly." Old Wang nodded.

    Experience tales at m v|l e''-NovelBin

    "But that werewolf didn''t tell us beforehand what vor he liked, I still feel like he just wanted to mooch off us," Ma Lu said.

    Ma Lu handed over a packed Earth Dragon Meat in tbread to a young associate professor waiting in front of the stall, who had the same Mediterranean hairstyle as Old Wang.

    This dish had one less ¡ï than the meheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew, primarily because thetter had more steps in its preparation and took longer to cook, plus it required the second stomach of a Lava Giant Lizard¡ªa part of which they had little left it was not suitable for street vending.

    So, in the end, Ma Lu designated the Earth Dragon Meat in tbread as today''s special.

    Old Wang had already fished out another piece of marinated meat from the pot, spread the tender and fragrant Earth Dragon Meat thin, added a spoonful of broth and then took out a golden, crispy tbread from the oven, filled it, and continued.

    "No, even if we knew his taste, we would only be catering to it even more. But what he said was very clear, he doesn''t just want satisfaction, but to be moved."

    "What''s the difference between the two?" Ma Lu asked as he wrapped up the tbread in wax paper and handed it to the next customer.

    "Satisfaction can be achieved as long as the food is tasty enough, but moving someone requires more than just taste¡ªit needs a touch of sincerity."

    "Sincerity?" Ma Lu furrowed his brow, "What does that mean?"

    "Simply put, it''s about creating dishes specifically tailored to the customer''s race, life experiences, or their special emotions at particr moments," Old Wang exined.

    "It''s one of the fundamental skills of a cosmic chef, if my sector hadn''t been damaged and that data was still there, this should be easily aplished, but now..."

    "I get it," Ma Lu snapped his fingers. "So, the dishes we choose have to be rted to that werewolf, right?

    "Like a phrase often on the lips of film fans, ''What moves you isn''t the movie itself, but the life experiences it reflects that resonate with you.''

    "Yeah, that''s basically it."

    "Then I might have a rough idea..." As Ma Lu spoke, his hands didn''t stop moving, and he had already packed another three servings of Earth Dragon Meat in tbread.

    In the meantime, he even took a photo with a young girl who hade in a Han costume after hearing about the stall.

    Since The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall became popr, there have been more such requests. In theory, as long as it doesn''t interfere with business, Ma Lu wouldn''t specifically stop them, after all, even if it''s called the same, Ma Lu didn''t own the street.

    As for more advanced services, like one-on-one photos or even featured interviews, as long as there''s extra pay, it''s not a problem.

    Nowadays, diversification in business is encouraged, and if it weren''t for the numerous secrets Ma Lu could not reveal, he would have already started live streaming riding on the wave of poprity.

    In fact, an MCN Company had approached him not long ago, and out of curiosity, Ma Lu had even looked at the contract they offered. He felt that even the treatment of ck ves in the 18th-century American sugar cane ntations was better than that.

    After all, ve owners had to provide ves with food and shelter, some even arranged marriages, while most MCNpanies were purely exploiting without giving anything in return.

    Not only do they take a cut of the profits, but they also swallow up ount ownership and advertising rights, all the while not even providing a basic sry. They bait with so-called professional training and traffic support, but in reality, they just let the signed streamers fend for themselves.

    At most, they throw you some training materials scraped from the inte to study on your own and buy some zombie fans to like your posts, considering that as fulfilling their obligation.

    The rest is just a gamble, with enough people signed on, someone is bound to be popr. And then these MCNpanies can bleed them dry.

    What''s that, you realize something''s off and want to break the contract? Sorry, but a hefty penalty fee is waiting right here for you.

    ......

    Because he had detoured to Jin Xin Hardware, The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall openedter than usual today, selling all 1,000 servings of Earth Dragon Meat burgers by almost 7 p.m.

    At a unit price of 23, the total ie was 23,020, with the extra 20 being from a joint photo opportunity. The cost was 211.6, leaving a profit of 22,808.4, sessfully reaching the two thousand mark!

    Ma Lu didn''t hesitate to whip out his phone and order the rowing machine immediately, but instead of heading straight home afterward, he had made ns to view a ceter in the evening.

    After deciding to open a shop, he had been looking everywhere for a suitable location, viewing more than forty shops in total, each with its own set of problems, not quite hitting the mark.

    The shop Ma Lu was going to see this time was not far from Aerospace University, only 1.4 kilometers away ording to Gaode Maps, located on a side road between three residential areas, a typicalmunity shop.

    He had stumbled upon the rental information online two days prior, less than 24 hours after it was posted.

    Ma Lu had contacted the person who posted the information in advance to get a better understanding of the situation.

    The ce was previously upied by a hot pot restaurant that, reportedly, did quite well, but due to some family issues, the owner didn''t renew the lease when it expired.

    The total construction area was 90 square meters,rger than what Ma Lu had anticipated.

    But that''s how it goes with searching for rentable space, it''s rare to find one that fully meets the requirements. If it feels roughly suitable, it''s worth taking a look; after all, it doesn''t cost anything, so Ma Lu set up a time for a viewing anyway.

    Heading there now would put him right on time.

    Ma Lu mounted his trike, with Old Wang in tow, arriving at the location marked on the map in less than seven minutes.

    They found the hot pot restaurant called Wang Ji Copper Pot Shabu Meat nestled between a massage clinic and a tobo and liquor store.

    The lights were on inside the restaurant, and a white Mercedes GLC was parked out front.

    Ma Lu pulled up in front of the GLC on his trike, and just as he got off, a middle-aged woman with permed hair and carrying an LV bag came out from the restaurant, yelling at him and Old Wang.

    "Hey hey hey, you can''t park here!"

    Ma Lu pointed at the white Mercedes, "But isn''t this car parked here already?"

    "This is our shop, so of course we can park our car here."

    "I''m here to see the shop as well."

    At this, the middle-aged woman looked Ma Lu and Old Wang up and down with a skeptical gaze.

    "You must be Ms. Chen, right? I''ve spoken with you on the phone before," Ma Lu said, unfazed.

    "Oh, you''re that young fe Ma from the day before yesterday," the middle-aged woman suddenly realized, but she didn''t invite Ma Lu and Old Wang in straight away, instead, she added,

    "Let me make it clear first. The rent for this shop used to be 17 thousand a month, and there''s no point talking if it''s less than that. I have no trouble renting this ce out, andter on, Boss Zhang is alsoing to take a look."

 Chapter 90: Chapter 90 Negotiations

    "I know, but I do need to check out the interior before we can discuss the rent,"

    Ma Lu was now a sessful individual with a daily ie of twenty thousand, so he was not intimidated by the number, but the asking price indeed exceeded his budget.

    The key issue was that thendlord didn''t seem easy to get along with; future disputes were likely.

    Ma Lu had already mentally crossed off this shop, but since he hade all this way, it seemed unreasonable not to take a look inside.

    Perhaps because Ma Lu showed no fear, and with Old Wang remaining silent by his side, exuding an aura of mystery, Ms. Chen seemed uncertain about their intentions and finally led them into the shop.

    Inside was a middle-aged man with neatlybed hair, dressed in a polo shirt, and sporting a Longines watch.

    His surname was Zhou, and he imed to work at a bank. He and Ms. Chen were a married couple.

    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, when Ma Lu saw that Ms. Chen and Mr. Zhou didn''t seem inclined to offer any introductions, he began to look around on his own.

    The hotpot restaurant had a typicalyout with the dining area in front and the kitchen in the back. The dining area was just over 60 square meters, with the kitchen taking up about 25 square meters, which was a rtively high ratiopared to the other shops Ma Lu had seen.

    Old Wang was very satisfied with this.

    Many owners prefer to maximize the size of the front, fitting in as many tables as possible, which leaves less space for the kitchen, thus reducing the efficiency of serving food.

    No matter how many seats there are, slow service can still affect earning speed and even lead to a slipping reputation for the restaurant; it can also impact the mood of the staff working in the kitchen.

    Though a bad mood among the Palu was hardly a big issue.

    After making a full round, Ma Lu could tell that the previous tenant had put a lot of effort into the renovation; the building materials chosen were quite good.

    Also, being a food service, they had made arrangements with the electric utility for increased voltage capacity before opening, upgrading to three-phase electricity, with existing smoke extraction ducts in ce.

    This would save the next tenant several thousand yuan in modification costs. A bit of renovation, acquisition of necessary kitchen equipment, a new sign for the front, and some second-hand seating would be enough to start business directly.

    The downside was the average pedestrian flow, supposedly situated between three residentialmunities and not far from their entrances, but all three entrances weren''t the main ones, with two of them locked after 10 pm.

    Moreover, on his way over, Ma Lu had taken note of the surrounding environment. This auxiliary road was very short, totaling less than a hundred meters, with both foot and vehicle traffic only a fifth of the main road next to it.

    However, this wasn''t a big problem for Ma Lu. The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall had already umted quite a reputation and customer base, with over a dozen WeChat groups, so initial customer traffic wasn''t a concern.

    Furthermore, there was a small parking lot about 20 meters past the intersection ahead, which somewhat addressed the parking needs for some customers.

    More importantly, the location wasn''t far from Aerospace University. If he chose to open a shop here, Ma Lu wouldn''t have topletely abandon the territory he had established at the West Gate of Aerospace University and could retain some of his past following.

    And once he obtained the tabletop cultivation facility, he could immediately expand his delivery services.

    It was just a pity that the rent was too high, and thendlord appeared quite difficult.

    While Ma Lu and Old Wang were inspecting the shop, another man walked in.

    The neer wore leather shoes and dress pants, his slightly protruding belly secured by a Montnc belt, holding a ck leather bag in one hand and a string of prayer beads in the other¡ªno doubt, this had to be Director Zhang.

    Ms. Chen and her husband''s attitude towards Director Zhang waspletely different from their treatment of Ma Lu and Old Wang; they warmly greeted him and personally showed him around the shop.

    They boasted about how sessful and profitable the previous hotpot restaurant had been,menting that the rent they negotiated before was too low, and then asked,

    "Director Zhang, have you thought about how you''re going to make a fortune with this ce?"

    "Oh, I n on opening a chess and card room."

    Director Zhang pulled a pack of Chungwa cigarettes from his bag, offered them around and, seeing that no one took one, lit one for himself. He took a puff and chuckled.

    "Chess and card rooms are good," Mr. Zhou said. "They''re profitable without being as exhausting as the catering business."

    "Not at all," Director Zhang replied. "It''s all about making a hard-earned buck. Rent, renovations, plus having to hire cleaners and waitresses - they''re all expenses. What finally ends up in my hands isn''t much, and if I don''t control the costs well, I might even lose money. Doing business is tough these days."

    "Look at you, Director Zhang, you seem like the kind of person who''s clever and capable of making big money," Ms. Chen said eagerly. "If there''s no problem, let''s sign the contract."

    However, Director Zhang was also an old fox and wouldn''t easily show his hand; he took another drag and said.

    "No rush, no hurry. I still have a few other ces to check out before I can make a decision."

    "Hey, you won''t be able to find a better location with cheaper rent than ours nearby."

    Director Zhang smiled at this without a word.

    Seeing this, Ms. Chen frowned slightly, then pointed at Ma Lu.

    "I''m not trying to rush you, Director Zhang, but it''s just that our shop is really in high demand. Look, we''ve only posted the advertisement for a day and so many people have already inquired," said Ms. Chen. "Boss Ma, like you, is also here to view the shop. Moreover, I''ve arranged meetings with many people for tomorrow. You can check my chat records if you don''t believe me."

    Ms. Chen unlocked her smartphone, opened WeChat, and waved it in front of Director Zhang.

    "It''s obviously fine topare different shops, but let me be clear: if you eventually find ours is the best ande back to it, you might not be able to rent it by then."

    To press for a deal, Ma Lu was promoted in Ms. Chen''s mouth from Little Ma to Boss Ma.

    Additionally, by arranging for them both to view the shop at the same time, she not only found it convenient forparison but likely intended to stimte a biddingpetition between them.

    At this point, Ma Lu suddenly interjected, "I see that all the street-facing shops here have two floors. What''s the purpose of the upper one?"

    "Oh, our property is dual-purpose, for both business and residence. There are tenants living upstairs."

    Ms. Chen had just finished speaking when Director Zhang raised an eyebrow. Before he could speak, she quickly added, "Don''t worry, Director Zhang, the upper floor is also ours. The tenant upstairs is very honest, and they absolutely won''t affect your business downstairs."

    "Seventeen thousand is still a bit expensive," Director Zhang replied with a slight smile, unmovable as a mountain.

    "Ah, where is it expensive? Our ce is 90 square meters. Calcte the unit price, and you''ll see it''s cheap for the area. If you don''t believe me, you can ask around the neighboring street. Just one street over, and their rent is much higher than here," Mr. Zhou also chimed in to support his wife.

    On the side, Ma Lu was making suggestions to Director Zhang. Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin

    "Director Zhang, if you''re opening a chess and card room, you don''t necessarily need to be on the first floor, right? If you rent the second floor, the rent could be much cheaper."

    These words tempted Director Zhang, but before he could respond, Ms. Chen shook her head, "No, no, the second floor has already been rented out."

    "Dual-purpose for business and residence doesn''t provide the samefort as a residentialmunity. You could ask the tenant to move, I believe," Ma Lu continued. "Director Zhang''s offer surely won''t disappoint you."

    Ms. Chen and Mr. Zhou exchanged nces, and while their expressions showed they were inclined to rent, in the end, Ms. Chen only said, "We''ll think about it. For now, we''ll just rent out the first floor."

    "Can I see the property deed then?" Ma Lu posed a new request.

    "You can see it when you decide to rent and when we sign the contract," Ms. Chen replied to Ma Lu with obvious indifference, brushing off his request.

 Chapter 91: Chapter 91 Doorbell

    After leaving the firepot restaurant, Old Wang thought Ma Lu would head straight home, but to his surprise, after cycling less than 20 meters, he stopped again at a street stall.

    The stall owner, an auntie, saw another tricycleing and thought it waspetition for business. She braced herself for a confrontation, but then she heard Ma Lu say, "One serving of stir-fried rice noodles, please!"

    The auntie breathed a sigh of relief, "Do you want it with or without meat? The one with meat is 12 yuan, and the vegetarian one is 8 yuan."

    "With meat, and add another 5 yuan worth of meat," Ma Lu said, pulling out his phone to scan the code.

    The auntie couldn''t resist striking up a conversation with this generous customer, who was also in the same line of work, "Young man, are you setting up or closing down your stall today?"

    "Closing down."

    "So early? Then you must have had good sales today."

    "Not bad, I made over twenty thousand."

    Upon hearing this, the auntieughed, "My old man couldn''t boast that much even after drinking two jins of Er Guo Tou liquor! Well, you''ll definitely be able to find a wife in the future."

    "Hahaha, thanks for the auspicious words," Ma Lu chuckled.

    The auntie chatted with Ma Lu and deftly continued cooking, tossing various ingredients into the pan.

    Not only did she add the extra 5 yuan worth of meat, but she also threw in an extra egg for free.

    As Ma Lu crouched by the roadside eating his deluxe stir-fried rice noodles, he bumped into Ms. Chen and Mr. Zhou leaving in a white GLC.

    Ms. Chen in the car must have seen Ma Lu and Old Wang on the roadside, but she just curled her lip and drove away without greeting.

    Director Zhang had left earlier than anyone else because he had made ns with friends to go for a foot massage.

    Ma Lu finished his hefty serving of stir-fried rice noodles unhurriedly and returned to the tricycle where Old Wang opened his eyes.

    "Ready to go?"

    "No, I want to take another look."

    "Look at what?"

    "To see if I can find the real owner of this ce," said Ma Lu, who hadn''t found any napkins, wiping his mouth with an oily paper bag used for meat sandwiches.

    "What do you mean? Aren''t the owners of that shop the couple we met earlier?" Old Wang asked, puzzled.

    "At first I thought so too. But don''t you find it strange that there are tenants living above the firepot restaurant?

    "There are three residentialplexes nearby. You could easily find a ton of rental listings just by looking around. And yet, those tenants chose not to rent elsewhere but instead reside in amercial-residential property where the rent and utilities are more expensive and it''s noisier.

    "Moreover, when I suggested evicting the tenants upstairs and renting the second floor to Director Zhang, who was willing to pay more to turn it into a card room, Ms. Chen and Mr. Zhou, who are astute businesspeople, hesitated and didn''t immediately agree."

    "Maybe it''s because the contract for the upstairs hasn''t expired yet," Old Wang suggested.

    Ma Lu shook his head, "That couple doesn''t strike me as the type to stick to a contract. The previous firepot restaurant was doing well, and when the lease was up, they didn''t renew it. The stories about family issues were just Ms. Chen''s one-sided ims, with no one knowing what really happened."

    Ma Lu then gestured around at the surrounding streets.

    "These mixed-usemercial-residential buildings on the street may be cheap to buy, but they''re not easy to rent out. People are generallyzy; climbing stairs is no different than scaling Mount Everest for them.

    "Not to mention, in an area with such low pedestrian traffic, many businesses use the second level for personal living space. It saves themmuting time and allows them to rest better."

    "Besides, you might not know this being from another universe, but many cities have a type of job called sub-lessor."

    Ma Lu shrugged, "Of course, all this is just my spection, but we can wait for the tenants on the second floor toe back to verify."

    However, they waited until almost 9 p.m., and the windows of the second floor were still pitch ck, not looking like anyone was living there.

    "Could it be they''re out traveling, or maybe they''re sry ves working at a big factory?"

    Ma Lu yawned, feeling a wave of sleepiness overtake him.

    He had been out collecting ingredients since yesterday afternoon and had also rushed to a beast tide on the other side, toiling for over a dozen hours.

    After returning, he hadn''t really rested much and immediately made a round in the hardware store owned by the werewolf; he had set up a stall at Aerospace University until dark, then hastened over to check on the store.

    It was about time to rest.

    "How about wee back tomorrow morning?" Old Wang suggested.

    "Sure." Ma Lu was also feeling exhausted, but before leaving, he had a spark of inspiration and decided to go up and knock on the door.

    This was Ma Lu''s style of doing things, even if it seemed hopeless, as long as it didn''t cost much, he would still give it a shot.

    But now the problem arose, how to get up there?

    Looking at the massage clinic next door, there was a staircase to the second floor on the first level, but when Ma Lu had looked around the hot pot restaurant earlier, he hadn''t seen any staircase.

    It was probably removed, allowing for a few extra square meters of space on the first floor, naturallymanding a higher rent, but it''s impossible for the people living above not toe down.

    Taking into ount that there were shops on both sides of the hot pot restaurant, that left only one possibility.

    "Let''s go, into the residential area." Ma Lu said to Old Wang.

    The two men followed an elderly couple walking their dog and smoothly got through the ess control of the residential area, making their way behind the hot pot restaurant, and indeed, they found a back door there.

    Ma Lu walked up and knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside, and looking up from there, the window on the second floor was also dark.

    Could it really be that no one was there?

    Ma Lu felt a bit disappointed and was ready to leave when he thought of something else.

    No, that''s not right. The iron gate is on the first floor, but the person above lives on the second floor. A normal knock probably wouldn''t be heard, right?

    How would they receive deliveries or order takeout then?

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    Ma Lu turned on the shlight mode on his phone, shining it around, and finally, he found an inconspicuous ck doorbell in the bottom right corner of the iron gate.

    "......"

    Why would anyone install a doorbell in such an obscure ce?!

    Ma Lu pressed it twice, but after waiting for half a minute, still no one came down.

    So he pressed it again twice and then looked up. In the corner of his eye, he thought he saw something sh behind the window, but when he looked again, there was nothing there.

    Ma Lu was unsure if his eyes were deceiving him and turned to ask Old Wang.

    "Did you see that just now?"

    "I saw it." Old Wang nodded, stating with certainty.

    "What did you see?"

    "I''ll send the recording directly to you."

    After Old Wang spoke, a golden metallic wire stealthily stretched out from beneath his jacket and plugged into Ma Lu''s bracelet.

    Once the transfer wasplete, a 2.4-second long video appeared in the Traveler''s Bracelet.

    Ma Lu didn''t rush to view the video but instead eximed.

    "Wow, you have a recording function as well?"

    "Yes, my eyes can be used as a high-definition camera."

    "Then we won''t need a dash cam anymore in the future."

    Ma Lu joked, but he soon stoppedughing.

    "Wait a minute, does that mean you''ve recorded me in my boxers at home?"

    "I regrly clear out such irrelevant data."

 Chapter 92 : 92 Strange Tenant

    "When you''re free, let''s go to the beach, and you can take more bikini shots, I have a friend who loves that stuff."

    As Ma Lu spoke, he opened the 2.4-second video clip, but before he could take a closer look, it was already over.

    He had to y it again, and this time he kept his eyes on the second-floor window, finally noticing the corner of the curtain move slightly, lifted by someone before being quickly dropped back into ce.

    It wasn''t until he yed it at 0.25x speed that he could clearly see the thing behind the curtain¡ªa pair of blood-red eyes, quite sinister.

    "Vampire?"

    Ma Lu had already encountered werewolves, so bumping into a vampire didn''t faze him as much.

    However, Old Wang said, "No."

    "Not? Then whose eyes could be so red except for a vampire''s?"

    "Her eyes are red because of the abundance of blood vessels, probably due to ack of sleep."

    "Really? How long must one go without sleep to end up looking like a ghost?"

    Ma Lu took another close look and said, "Putting aside that guy''s race, it''s a bit impolite to note down and check when you hear the doorbell, especially when you''re at home."

    "I believe the emotion she disyed in that footage is closer to fear," said Old Wang.

    Ma Lu thought about it, and two strangers showing up in the middle of the night to knock on your door is indeed a bit terrifying; no wonder the person upstairs was scared.

    "Then we''lle back during the day tomorrow."

    Having said that, Ma Lu didn''t linger there any longer and turned around to go home to sleep.

    The next day, after Old Wang had prepared the ingredients, the two of them rode the tricycle back to the hotpot restaurant.

    Ma Lu noticed Ms. Chen''s white GLC parked by the curb again, and Director Zhang''s Lexus RX was also present.

    This wasn''t a good sign; it suggested that the two might have had a further exchange after going back, and Director Zhang''s interest in this ce was much greater than he showed the first night he visited the shop.

    Ma Lu found a ce to park the tricycle. He had nned to have Old Wange with him, but after thinking it over, he decided against it.

    The person on the second floor was quite timid and might y dead again if they saw two people approaching.

    Ma Lu once again used the resident''s entrance code to get into themunity, arrived at the iron door, and bent down to press the doorbell three times.

    As before, there was no response from the inside.

    Ma Lu looked up and noticed that even during the day, the second-floor curtains were still not drawn,pletely hiding the inside.

    "Still saying it''s not a vampire?" Ma Lu muttered. He scanned the surroundings and finally fixed his gaze on the trash bin.

    He walked over, picked a rtively clean cardboard box from inside, inverted it in front of the iron gate as a disguised delivery package, then quickly pressed the doorbell twice and hid in the shadows below waist level.

    This spot was a blind angle for the second floor''s windows.

    Ma Lu stood there for about a quarter of an hour and finally won this round of the patience contest.

    He saw the iron door quietly open a crack.

    Then a pale small hand reached out, grabbing toward the cardboard box outside.

    "Hey, let''s talk."

    Ma Lu walked out from the shadows.

    Startled by his voice, the person behind the door jumped, grabbed the box from the ground, and desperately dragged it inside.

    Probably hoping to retrieve their delivery and lock the door before Ma Lu could react, but they misjudged the weight of the box and ended up on their backside.

    "Are you okay?"

    Seeing this, Ma Lu also stepped forward, extending his hand.

    However, the person on the ground did not utter a word and turned to run up the stairs, scrambling so frantically that they even banged their knee.

    "I''m not a bad person, I just want to talk to you about renting out the first floor."

    Ma Lu continued, but the person didn''t stop their steps and had already rushed up the stairs; soon after, another loud ng echoed from above.

    Ma Lu walked up to the second floor at a leisurely pace along the narrow steps, and there stood a door at the end.

    Even through the door panel, one could hear the rapid panting and pounding heartbeat from the other side.

    "I don''t know what your rtionship is with Ms. Chen and Mr. Zhou, but as far as I know, they n to rent out the first floor to open a mahjong parlor.

    "You know about mahjong parlors, right? The kind of ce where a lot of people y mahjong day and night. It''s going to get really noisy, and the upstairs won''t be suitable for living anymore. It would be best for you to move somewhere else to live.

    "Alright, I''ve said what I wanted to say. If you don''t want to meet me, that''s fine."

    After Ma Lu finished speaking, he truly turned and left. It wasn''t a strategic retreat; although he was somewhat interested in this storefront, it was only a mild interest, far from a must-rent situation.

    Since the other party did not intend to talk with him, he didn''t want to waste more time.

    However, Ma Lu had only walked halfway when the door behind him cracked open again.

    "You... you also want to rent... the first floor?"

    The person''s speech was somewhat hesitant, as if a tape had gotten stuck.

    "Mhm." Ma Lu stopped, "Shall we talk?"

    The person fell silent for several seconds, apparently engaged in a fierce internal battle, before finally saying, "Okay...e up."

    Ma Lu went back up to the second floor.

    He hadn''t even entered when he was shocked by the scene behind the door.

    Although it was already ten o''clock in the morning, the living room was as dim as if night had fallen.

    All over the floor were drink bottles and empty snack bags, leaving hardly any room to step. Clothes and socks of all sorts, including underwear, were strewn everywhere.

    The coffee table was piled high with instant noodles and takeout containers, and not just one of each; it looked like a week''s worth of food was there, uncleaned, some of it half-eaten and gone sour, filling the room with a strange odor.

    Ma Lu looked toward the room''s upant¡ª

    A girl wearing an oversized sweatshirt and pajama pants, her skin pale and eyes bloodshot.

    She was also looking at him, but as soon as Ma Lu looked her way, she immediately turned her head away, averting her gaze.

    As the host, she didn''t invite Ma Lu to sit on the couch, nor did she offer any drinks.

    She just stood there in silence, her small hands unsure where to rest.

    One moment behind her back, the next crossed in front, then one hand hugging an arm, but less than two secondster hanging down again in a stance of attention, soon unconsciously reaching up to touch her messy hair...

    Severe social anxiety?

    Seeing her like this, Ma Lu had a good idea of what was going on. He didn''t purposefully initiate conversation but stepped over the trash piled up in the living room and moved to the French windows.

    First he drew back the tightly closed curtains, dispersing the darkness inside the room.

    But with the warm sunlight that streamed in, a scream also filled the room.

    "Ah! No, quick! Close it!" The girl covered her blood-red eyes, crying out in pain.

    Though Ma Lu had never encountered a real vampire, he imagined their reaction to bright light would be much the same.

    And the girl before him had probably lived in darkness for too long, causing her eyes to be sensitive to light.

    Ma Lu didn''t continue to provoke her. After opening the window to air it out, he drew the curtains closed again, leaving only a sliver open to keep the living room from being too dark.

 Chapter 93 : 93 Signing the Contract

    As the light in the room dimmed again, the girl finally moved her palm away from her eyes and said weakly, "Don''t, don''t... draw the curtains anymore."

    "Okay," Ma Luplied smoothly, stepping back a few paces from the window, "What''s your name?"

    "Zhen Ye."

    "Zhen Ye? You don''t look wild at all."

    Zhen Ye didn''t know how to respond and could only stand there awkwardly.

    "Ms. Chen and Mr. Zhou are your..."

    "Guardians."

    "You''re not yet 18, are they your parents?" Ma Lu raised his eyebrows.

    "No, no, she''s my aunt and and her husband, I...st month I turned 18... celebrated with friends."

    "You have friends?"

    "Yeah, yeah, we... form a team... to grind dungeons together."

    "Oh, online friends."

    Compared to the average person, Zhen Ye''s reactions were a bit slow, and after Ma Lu asked a question, she typically took two or three seconds before answering, and she wasn''t very articte when she spoke.

    She seemed to realize that this way ofmunicating was too inefficient, so she said, "Do you have QQ? Maybe we... could chat on QQ?"

    "If you find that morefortable, I don''t mind."

    Ma Lu took out his phone, added Zhen Ye''s QQ, her QQ nickname was "Dragon Cat on the Second Floor."

    Once the conversation moved online, Zhen Ye instantly rxed a lot, typed even faster than the average person, and didn''t have the same awkward pauses and strange sentence breaks as when she spoke.

    It was just a bit odd that the two people, despite being under one roof, still needed tomunicate by typing.

    ¡ª¡ªAre you looking to rent a ce?

    ¡ª¡ªYes, can I confirm that you''re the owner of this storefront?

    ¡ª¡ªThat''s right, this two-story building was bought by my parents when I was three years old, the property deed has my name on it. Originally, the first floor was a supermarket and we lived on the second floor.

    ¡ª¡ªI see. May I ask why your aunt and her husband became your guardians?

    ¡ª¡ªFive years ago, my parents were driving out of town to buy stock, and they were killed in a traffic ident. A coal truck overturned; its driver had fallen asleep at the wheel. Their minivan was crushed.

    ¡ª¡ªI''m sorry to have brought up such a painful memory. Did you live alone after that?

    ¡ª¡ªYeah, I took a leave of absence from school and continued to live here, my aunt and her husband rented out the first floor, the rent was just enough to cover my daily expenses.

    Zhen Ye paused, then continued typing.

    ¡ª¡ªActually, if you want to rent a ce, you could just talk to my aunt and her husband. I''m not very good at dealing with people; they manage all that stuff.

    Before Ma Lu could reply, Zhen Ye''s QQ sounded again with a "di-di."

    She nced at the new message, scratched her head, and typed to Ma Lu.

    ¡ª¡ªMy aunt said she has already rented out the first floor.

    ¡ª¡ªRented it to the owner of a card room, didn''t you stop her?

    ¡ª¡ªShe said the economy has been bad recently; even the previous hotpot restaurant owner didn''t want to renew the lease even after a rent reduction, but this card room owner was willing to take over and even pay an extra 500 yuan.

    "May I ask indiscreetly how much rent you received each month before?" Ma Lu suddenly spoke up.

    "Uh..." Zhen Ye thought for a moment and typed,

    ¡ª¡ª4500.

    "I can offer 10000 yuan," Ma Lu said.

    "How much?"

    Zhen Ye shuddered, her breathing also became heavy.

    "Ten thousand, and that includes two meals for you."

    Ma Lu continued, "However, these are just staff meals, not the kind you sell as proper meals. Of course, even the staff meals will taste much better than these takeouts you usually order."

    Zhen Ye seemed to hardly believe her own ears.

    ¡ª¡ªWhy are you so nice to me?

    "It''s not that I''m nice to you, it''s that the normal rent for this ce would be even higher," Ma Lu said. "If you took the time to post the rental information yourself, you could probably find a tenant who would pay more than I''m offering."

    Zhen Ye shook her head, then continued typing.

    ¡ª¡ªI don''t want to deal with people; dealing with people is too scary. Justst night, two strangers kept knocking on my door.

    After a pause, she continued typing.

    ¡ª¡ªAre you serious about the ten thousand yuan?

    "It''s true," Ma Lu said. "If you want, we can sign the contract right now."

    As the two were speaking, the sound of the doorbell suddenly rang out.

    Upon hearing this, Zhen Ye ran to the window, peeked quickly outside by lifting a corner of the curtain, then immediately shrank back, saying in a panicked voice.

    "It''s, it''s my¡­ aunt."

    "She''s probably here to sign the contract with you too," Ma Lu said.

    Hearing this, Zhen Ye couldn''t help but hesitate again.

    Ma Lu did not rush her, standing to the side and waiting quietly.

    Zhen Ye was autistic but not foolish; she realized by now that her aunt and uncle had scammed her, likely skimming a good portion of the rent.

    However, she didn''t want to have a falling out with her aunt, not because she couldn''t bear to lose that rtionship. After all, since her parents died, her aunt and uncle had hardly visited her, only showing up when they needed her signature.

    Zhen Ye was actually quite happy with this frequency of interaction. Compared to the rtives who would constantly check on her, dropping by every few days, those made her even more ufortable.

    Of course, now it didn''t matter whether that rtionship existed or not; Zhen Ye''s main concern was avoiding trouble.

    She knew that with her aunt''s personality, missing out on such arge sum of money would not be taken lightly, and it could mean her aunt woulde by to make a scene frequently in the future.

    She wasn''t good at dealing with such situations; just the thought of it was enough to suffocate Zhen Ye. She figured paying some money to be left alone wasn''t out of the question.

    But there was no helping it; Ma Lu was offering far too much.

    Ten thousand yuan was more than double what she had been getting before, which meant she could spend more in her games, buy better equipment, and challenge stronger bosses.

    The doorbell kept ringing, like a silent kind of urging, and her QQ also started chiming again.

    Zhen Ye looked down at the new message and typed.

    ¡ª¡ªMy aunt says she''s already negotiated a deal for renting the first floor and that both parties havee to an agreement. They''ve even taken the property certificate to make copies.

    ¡ª¡ªIt''s useless. You''re the homeowner; any agreement they reach is invalid without your consent.

    ¡ª¡ªBut they are my guardians.

    ¡ª¡ªDidn''t you turn 18st month? You have full capacity for civil conduct now; there are no guardians anymore.

    Zhen Ye swallowed hard.

    ¡ª¡ªThen, let''s sign the contract. Do you have one?

    Ma Lu nodded, "I found a standard temte online beforeing here. We just need to fill in the key information in the nk spaces, check it over, and if there are no issues, we can sign."

    He spoke as he took out a document from the backpack behind him.

    Zhen Ye took it but only skimmed through, toozy to read the details. She moved the other two takeaway boxes from the coffee table to the floor and started filling out the contract there.

    Seeing this, Ma Lu cautioned her again.

    "We''ll start with a three-year lease, one down payment for three months, the first month free of rent for getting the documents in order and remodeling. And if you renew the leaseter on, I get the right of first refusal at the same rent. Do you find these conditions eptable?"

    Zhen Ye nodded, "Sure."

    "Good, then let''s sign."

 Chapter 94: Chapter 94 Speak Out

    Zhen Ye sprawled over the coffee table, scribbling her name in a squiggly line.

    The sweatshirt she wore was at least two sizes toorge, the neckline was wide, and perhaps due to living alone for too long, shecked the necessary awareness to cover up, essentially exposing everything in that position.

    Ma Lu couldn''t help but avert his gaze slightly, again surveying the messy room.

    Actually, if one ignored the pile of trash on the floor and the strange odor in the air, the ce was arranged quite cozily, showing that the person who had lived here before loved life.

    It''s just that time had passed and the electrical appliances and furniture were somewhat outdated, and the whole house was about due for maintenance.

    There were cracks in the ceiling and the walls, some of the ster had even fallen off, and there were mold spots beneath the windowsill, which Ma Lu had noticed earlier when pulling the curtains, indicating possible water seepage.

    Renovating and fixing all the problems would also cost a significant sum.

    The bedroom facing Ma Lu was locked, while another was half-open, simrly filled with rubbish. Socks and undershirts were casually draped over a gaming chair, and aputer screen emitted a faint blue glow¡ªwithout a doubt, it was Zhen Ye''s living space.

    "I''ve... finished signing," Zhen Ye put down the pen and handed the contract back to Ma Lu.

    Ma Lu checked again and, confirming there were no issues, signed his name as well.

    Downstairs, the doorbell was ringing more and more urgently, and Zhen Ye''s mobile QQ kept beeping non-stop, messagesing one after another, causing her to be somewhat at a loss.

    Ma Lu passed one copy of the contract back to the girl opposite him, "This is yours. I also need a copy of your property title and ID, oh, and the floor n, we''ll probably need thatter as well."

    "I have... my ID, but the property... title and floor... n are with my aunt..."

    "Oh, she''s downstairs, isn''t she? Then have here up."

    "Ah?"

    "No worries, you don''t have to talk if you don''t want to. I''ve asked a friend for help, he''s a professional, specializes in these matters. He should be arriving soon."

    Upon hearing this, Zhen Ye unconsciously pictured a burly man with tattooed arms, gold chains, and a fierce face, rushing over with a group of underlings in a van, and she became a little anxious, stuttering.

    "Let''s... forget it."

    "It''s alright, settling everything once and for all saves you the trouble of hering back to bother youter, and you might even be able to recoup some losses," said Ma Lu. "But first, I need to understand how much you value this family tie. On a scale of 1 to 5, how much would you rate it?"

    "Uh... 2 points."

    Zhen Ye wanted to say more, but the ringing of the doorbell suddenly stopped. Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, the outer iron gate was opened from outside, followed by footsteps up the stairs.

    Ms. Chen, holding a spare key she had taken out from her LV bag, reached the second floor. But this time, before she could insert the key into the lock, the door was opened by someone from the inside.

    Ms. Chen, looking at her niece standing before her, said in surprise, "You''ve been gaming again? I''ve been ringing your doorbell for so long, didn''t you hear?"

    Without waiting for Zhen Ye to reply, she covered her nose and said, "How many days has it been since youst showered? Forget it, I can''t manage you. Just sign the contract, that''s all. I''m not going in. This is the rental contract for the first floor; I''ve already negotiated everything."

    As she spoke, Ms. Chen flipped directly to thest page of the contract, revealing the space for the signature, and presented it with a ballpoint pen to Zhen Ye.

    She didn''t do more than that, merely using her phone to cover up the rental amount section.

    She knew her niece very well, aware that sheckedmon sense, was easily trusting, and hated being troubled.

    He never looked closely at the contract, just did whatever she said previously. The time saved meant more gaming.

    But this time, Zhen Ye unexpectedly did not sign immediately.

    She stood motionless in front of the door, as if suddenly petrified.

    Ms. Chen frowned and pushed the contract closer to Zhen Ye, "Sign it. I''ve been looking for over a month and finally found a new tenant for you¡ªa monthly rent of 5000. Once this chance passes, there won''t be another one."

    Zhen Ye''s voice module seemed to have just finished loading and she spoke with a hoarse voice, "I... I''ve signed... the contract."

    "You haven''t signed yet. Sign quickly so you can go y games."

    "No... She really has signed already," Ma Lu''s voice came from behind, "It''s okay, let her in."

    On hearing this, Zhen Ye stepped back, making room in the hallway.

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    Ms. Chen was extremely surprised; her niece was what people online would call a social recluse. Since her parents died, she had been living alone for so many years and she never heard of her having any friends. How could there be someone else in the house?

    Ms. Chen''s first thought was a scam artist; some people pretended to seek a romantic rtionship to swindle money or sex. Young girls like Zhen Ye,cking in social experience, were exactly their ideal prey.

    However, when Ms. Chen entered the room and saw the person standing by the window, she was taken aback.

    "Xiao Ma?! Why are you here?"

    "I still prefer you call me Boss Ma," Ma Lu said, "and I''ll soon have my own restaurant. The title fits perfectly."

    "You''re opening a restaurant?" Ms. Chen felt a bad premonition, "Where?"

    "Downstairs, Miss Zhen Ye just rented the first floor to me."

    "What nonsense are you talking about? I already rented out the ground floor!" Ms. Chen said angrily.

    "You''re not the owner, what you say doesn''t count!"

    "How does it not count? I''m Zhen Ye''s aunt, her guardian! I decide who gets this shop!" Ms. Chen raised her voice, "I decide who I rent it to!"

    Ma Lu couldn''t be bothered to argue with her, "Say what you want, we''ve already signed the contract."

    "That doesn''t count!" Ms. Chen dered firmly, "Zhen Ye is still a minor. Without her guardian present, anything she signs is invalid. Haha, I knew you were no good when I saw youst night, a mind full of tricks. Seeing you can''t fool me and my husband, youe to deceive my niece. A grown man bullying a young girl, aren''t you ashamed?!"

    "If you as her guardian had taken even the slightest interest in your niece, you would know she celebrated her 18th birthdayst month," Ma Lu said at leisure.

    Upon hearing this, Ms. Chen was momentarily taken aback and turned to look at the somewhat confused Zhen Ye behind her, "You''re of age now?"

    Zhen Ye nodded.

    Ms. Chen was now a bit panicked, but her attitude remained forceful, "So what if you''re of age? You... you coerced my niece into signing the contract. That''s fraud! Yes, that''s what it is, fraud. I''m going to call the police and have you arrested."

    "We signed a normal lease contract, and I''ll pay a rent of 10,000 every month to Miss Zhen Ye. How could that be fraud?"

    "What, 10,000? 10,000 to rent this ce?!" Ms. Chen was livid, "You still say it''s not fraud. Do you know how much Director Zhang offered?"

    "How much?" Ma Lu asked with a smile, "Let''s hear it, say it out loud!"

 Chapter 95: Chapter 95 Zhuang Bufan [Happy Lantern Festival]

    Ms. Chen was like a crowing rooster whose neck had been suddenly grasped, her face swollen red with inability to make a sound.

    She realized she had just let something slip.

    Although she had finally agreed on a rent of 15,000 with Director Zhang, increasing by 10% each year, she had just told Zhen Ye before entering the room that the contract she was given was for 5,000 a month.

    At this point, she couldn''t im a higher amount without seeming ridiculous, making Ma Lu''s 10,000 seem quite reasonable.

    Ms. Chen snorted coldly, no longer intending to reason with Ma Lu, as she had seen the contract on the table and dashed over, intending to tear it up.

    There were two copies of the lease contract, and Ma Lu had already put his own copy in his backpack.

    The remaining one belonged to Zhen Ye, and it wouldn''t have mattered much if it had been torn, as they could have just signed a new one.

    However, Ma Lu was standing right there and snatched the contract away first.

    This move not only grabbed the contract but also snatched away all of Ms. Chen''s wrath.

    Ma Lu raised the contract above his head, and after Ms. Chen jumped twice and failed to reach it, she turned tounch a personal attack on Ma Lu.

    She grabbed the cor of his shirt with one hand and was about to scratch him with the other.

    Ma Lu was not polite either; if she dared to scratch, he was ready to pretend to copse, and then he would im difort everywhere and go for a full medical checkup at the hospital, demanding both a sperm health check and a test for Helicobacter pylori.

    But just at the critical moment, amanding shout suddenly came from outside the door!

    "Hey, you''re getting physical, huh? One swipe of your w, and you''ll get at least five days of administrative detention, and if it gets serious, intentional harm will send you straight to prison, and your kid can forget about taking the civil service exam!"

    Ms. Chen hesitated at his shout, turned her head, and saw a young man in a suit and leather shoes, with an air of integrity, walking in from outside.

    "What are you looking at? Let go of my client!"

    Ms. Chen reluctantly released her grip.

    "I''m not your client," Ma Lu said, "Your client is right beside you."

    The young man immediately turned away from them and enthusiastically shook hands with Zhen Ye.

    "Miss Zhen Ye, I presume? Delighted to meet you, I''m yourwyer, Zhuang Bufan."

    Zhen Ye was still a bit confused and paused for a few seconds before saying, "How did... you get up here?"

    "Oh, the door downstairs was open, so I came straight in. Wasn''t it left open especially for me?"

    "Ah, but that''s not important now. I''ve already roughly understood your situation from Ma Lu. Rest assured, we are a country with rule ofw; Miss Zhen, you can fully protect your legal rights through litigation."

    Seeing the situation, Ms. Chen wanted to say something, but Zhuang Bufan had already turned to her again, speaking with righteous indignation.

    "My client, Miss Zhen, has reached the age of 18, is fullypetent in civil conduct, and is the owner of this property. Miss Zhen is fully entitled to dispose of the property, and the lease she has signed with another party as a fullypetent individual is also legally valid."

    Ms. Chen hadn''t expected Ma Lu to act so quickly, not only signing the contract with Zhen Ye while she was away but also finding awyer.

    When a professional steps in, it really is different from an ordinary person. Ms. Chen felt somewhat overwhelmed, and although she said, "It''s just awyer, nothing special," she had already begun to think about backing down.

    Yet, she was somewhat reluctant to part with the ten thousand yuan every month.

    Zhuang Bufan''s words were not yet finished, "Although you used to be Miss Zhen''s guardian, you had no authority to dispose of her assets, such as savings and real estate.

    "Before Miss Zhen turned 18, you were supposed to safeguard her property, and you should have protected her property rights and personal rights. Your previous act of withholding the rent on your own has already caused damage to Miss Zhen''s assets. I hope you can return the undue benefits as soon as possible, or we will see each other in court."

    Zhuang Bufan looked gentle and refined, but his words were quite forceful.

    "The previous tenant here was the owner of Wang Ji Copper Pot Shabu Meat. I found his number on Meituan and got the contract you initially signed from him.

    "And the monthly payments you made to Miss Zhen can be clearly seen by checking the bank statements. This indisputable fact can be confirmed by anywyer you might consult, and I believe they would all give you the same advice¡ªto honestly make up the difference.

    "Because in court, you won''t have a chance of winning, and you will also have to bear an extra amount for legal costs," Zhuang Bufan adjusted his tie and continued methodically.

    Ms. Chen''s face changed drastically, "What do you mean?! You want me to pay out of pocket? The child''s parents are gone. It was my husband and I who painstakingly raised her to this age and helped her rent out the house! What''s wrong with deducting a little money? That''s our maintenance fee, yes, the maintenance fee."

    "You see, this is why I don''t like talkingw with a legal illiterate like you," Zhuang Bufan spread his hands.

    "Who are you calling an olddy?!" Ms. Chen was furious.

    "Since that''s the case, I can only educate you a bit more on thew."

    Zhuang Bufan cleared his throat, "As a guardian, your responsibility for Miss Zhen''s upbringing and the infringement on Miss Zhen''s property are two separate matters.

    "In court, the judge would tell you the same thing, you need to first return the undue benefits you received, and then if you have any disagreements about the maintenance fee, you can sue my client and submit relevant evidence.

    "But to my knowledge, you and your husband have almost ignored my client over these five years, and I highly doubt you have any such evidence. Moreover..."

    Zhuang Bufan paused then continued, "After Miss Zhen''s parents passed away, they left more than just this little building as an inheritance. Their other assets, savings, and the settlement from the car ident... should also have been managed by you.

    "Given your dirty tricks with the rent, tsk tsk, it''s really hard to believe that you haven''t tampered with that part of the ounts."

    Ms. Chen''s face finally changed color, and she pulled out a property deed and a floor n from her file bag, tossing them onto the sofa.

    "Hmph, you''re ruthless!"

    However, as she turned to leave, she found the door still blocked by Zhuang Bufan.

    "Did you forget something?"

    "What else?"

    "The rent difference for the past five years, and the embezzled inheritance."

    "The inheritance... let''s just... forget it," Ms. Chen hesitantly said.

    Zhen Ye suddenly spoke up.

    Zhuang Bufan frowned, but he followed along with what Zhen Ye said, "Fine, we''ll concede on the inheritance, but the rent must be returned. I''ve calcted it already¡ªit totals to four hundred and eighty thousand yuan, and that''s without interest.

    "You''d better transfer it to my client''s ount within ten days, or we''ll see you in court. By then, it won''t be just this amount of rent anymore, but also the inheritance money, not a penny less."

 Chapter 96: Chapter 96 Universe Infinite Canteen

    Zhuang Bufan walked around the three-wheeled cart, curiously touching the iron frame on top.

    "Did you guys weld this thing on yourselves?"

    "No, I bought it used. It came like this," said Ma Lu.

    Not long after Ms. Chen left, the two of them also came down from upstairs. Zhen Ye had intended to pay Zhuang Bufan''s legal fees, but Zhuang Bufan refused him.

    It wasn''t that he didn''t want to take it, but mainly because he and Ma Lu were from the same ss, and were both graduating this year, still in their internship period.

    All that talk about being an agent and such was just Zhuang Bufan''s way of intimidating Ms. Chen.

    In actuality, he wasn''t yet allowed to take on cases, and he couldn''t even charge for consultations, or he''d be in trouble if it got reported to the bar association.

    Before leaving, Zhuang Bufan reminded Zhen Ye that if her aunt hadn''t transferred the money within ten days, she could contact him again.

    Then, he would ask a teacher from thew firm to step in as Zhen Ye''swyer and help her sue for the money.

    But in that case, they would charge standard fees, starting at a minimum of twenty thousand, and if they were to take a risk representation, it might even cost forty or fifty thousand yuan.

    So, the warning Zhuang Bufan gave Miss Chen earlier wasn''t an empty threat¡ªif it really came to that, the inheritance left by Zhen Ye''s parents would definitely have to be re-evaluated.

    Zhuang Bufan hooked a finger around his cor to cool down; he had rushed over as soon as he received a message from Ma Lu, and now the shirt on his back was soaked through with sweat.

    "I heard about your street food stall by West Gate, it''s all over the alumni groups.

    "They said your business is booming, that you''ve made a fortune. Everyone is guessing how much you''ve actually made, but from what I see, their estimates are too conservative¡ªyou''ve only started a while back and you''re already nning to open a shop."

    "Hahaha, not bad," Ma Lu said. "Just made a bit over a billion. I set up the stall mainly to give back to Aerospace University."

    "Have some shame," said Zhuang Bufan with disdain, then muttered, "Does setting up a stall really make that much? Maybe I should try it too."

    "What''s wrong with being awyer? Why would you want to run a street food stall?"

    "In City B, you can''t hire a personal driver for four thousand yuan, nor a nanny. But for three thousand, you can find an internwyer who has passed the bar exam, has excellent driving skills, can help clean, run errands, and even pick up and drop off your kids from school. And they''re on call 24 hours a day."

    "Sounds like you have it tough too."

    It was then that Old Wang finished baking the tbread and fished out the sulent and tender Earth Dragon Meat from the pot to stuff in it.

    Zhuang Bufan took the tbread and said thanks, "Seriously though, if running a stall makes good money, I really want to try it."

    "No, you wouldn''t be able to do it," Ma Lu shook his head.

    "Why not?"

    "Because you can''t make it as delicious as we do."

    "Really? It''s just a meat sandwich. How good can it be? Or do you have some kind of secret recipe?" Zhuang Bufan took a bite.

    The next moment, he shook mightily, "Damn, this is a meat sandwich? Why is it so delicious?! Impossible, have the meat sandwiches I''ve eaten before been fake?"

    "That''s why we''ve been able to prepare for opening a shop in just over a month," Ma Lu said, patting Zhuang Bufan''s shoulder.

    "Give it up, even if you knew the recipe, you couldn''t replicate it."

    "This taste is... extraordinary!"

    Zhuang Bufan devoured the meat sandwich in just a few bites, and then closed his eyes to savor the taste again, but soon he looked at Ma Lu.

    "Quick, give me another one. I ate thest one too quickly and didn''t get to appreciate it fully."

    Find your next read at m_v l|e-NovelBin

    "I''ll make four then," Ma Lu told Old Wang, "You eat one, pack two to take away, and thest one I''ll give to Zhen Ye. She probably hasn''t had lunch either."

    Zhuang Bufan was a good friend, rushing over as soon as he received the message to help out. Since this poor kid was still in his internship and couldn''t even charge for his work, Ma Lu could onlypensate him a little by giving him something to eat.

    Zhuang Bufan ate another roujiamo, feeling quite full, took the remaining two he had packed up with satisfaction, and left.

    Ma Lu, on the other hand, gave another roujiamo to Zhen Ye and, ording to the contract, also paid four months'' rent before heading back to Aerospace University with Old Wang to set up their stall.

    ......

    Now that the shop had been secured, there were even more tasks to be busy with.

    Apart from the daily stall operations, Ma Lu also had to start processing various licenses and contact the construction team to get ready to enter the site.

    The day after signing the contract, he first went to the City Market Supervision and Management Bureau to submit his documents, then filled out a pile of paperwork.

    During this period, there was also the step of naming the restaurant.

    He originally wanted to continue with the name of his food stall, The Universe''s Number One Restaurant, but the name was not approved, so Ma Lu changed it to The Universe''s Number Two Restaurant, but that too did not pass.

    Ma Lu didn''t try The Universe''s Number Three Restaurant, because the second could be seen as modest, but the third seemed a bit toocking in face.

    Therefore, on the third application, Ma Lu directly changed it to Universe Infinite Canteen.

    Whether the universe is indeed infinite or not, Ma Lu was not actually sure, but given the finite lifespan of humans, the universe today might as well be no different from infinite.

    Moreover, the existence of Different Dimension Travelers like Old Wang also proved that beyond dimensions there are more dimensions, and beyond the universe, there is more universe.

    Ma Lu himself had already visited other dimensions due to his work, from being somewhat unustomed at first to now being quite skilled and gradually enjoying it.

    ording to Old Wang, Bug Egg would unlock more routester on, and Ma Lu also wanted to experience the scenery of more dimensions, collect their exotic ingredients, bring them back for Old Wang to cook, and then sell them for profit!

    If possible, he hoped this journey would never have an end.

    That was the meaning of Universe Infinite.

    As for thest two characters, Ma Lu was worried about a name sh and made ast-minute change from restaurant to canteen.

    Fortunately, this time the name was finally approved.

    However, the business license would take a few more days to obtain, and Ma Lu didn''t just wait around. In the meantime, he met with the foreman to survey the site, and they finalized the renovation n.

    The day he received the business license, the construction drawings and budget also came out.

    The estimated renovation cost was 67,000, but after reviewing the design and the quotation, Ma Lu made a lot of cuts.

    "This, this, and this are not needed... and here, sticking up wooden boards will do. I''ll contact the wood factory directly for the delivery."

    In the end, he sessfully cut the total budget from 67,000 to 32,000, averaging less than 360 per square meter for the renovation costs.

    The reason it was so low was that Ma Lu''s requirement for the overall style was to have no style at all. National trend, industrial look, ins style, business style... he didn''t need any of those.

    What was left from the hot pot restaurant''s renovation was reused when possible, and if it truly wasn''t usable, it was repaired and reused again.

    If it was justpletely unusable, then there was no need to use it.

    As long as there were no issues with fire safety and hygiene, and the food was delicious enough, the rest would be something the customers could ovee themselves.

    This number left the foreman, Old He, silent, taking a full half minute before he spoke up.

    "I just did a renovation for a Sand County Snacksst month. They had a renovation cost of 900 per square meter. If it weren''t for Old Yan''s rmendation, I wouldn''t even want this job."

    "Can''t help it, we''ve got to save where we can at the start of this business venture. How about this, Master, I''ll see if I can get you some renovation work for an old house, right upstairs. If you do both jobs together, thebor should be cheaper too."

    Ma Lu offered a cigarette, and Old He took it, didn''t smoke it, but tucked it over his ear and sighed before saying, "Alright then."

 Chapter 97: Chapter 97 Promotion

    ```

    Ma Lu actually wasn''t sure he could persuade Zhen Ye, and although thetter''s house indeed needed renovation, the idea of convincing someone with social anxiety like Zhen Ye to move out of her little nest was a challenge.

    If all else failed, he would have to use some favors from Yan Wu, who had previously eaten the meheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew and might feel a bit embarrassed.

    Lately, he had been quite proactive with the restaurant renovations and had contributed a lot. The construction team he rmended was said to work meticulously, and the foreman Old He was a reliable person.

    Moreover, he had personally pitched in, helping with the procurement of materials and cost control, even providing contacts for the timber mill he had used before.

    The only sticking point remained the mortgage loan; no matter what, he still insisted on being served a dish that would impress him enough to hand over those three high-dimensional artifacts.

    ...

    Ma Lu''s week was basically spent rushing about until the day for collecting ingredients came again, giving him a chance to take a breath and temporarily escape these mundane worries.

    Compared to renovations and licenses, the beast tide seemed less frightening.

    Ma Lu bnced the white bug egg on his head, wanting nothing more than to flee this world immediately.

    But before he could run away, he did a quick inventory of the week''s earnings from his stall, as he usually did.

    Thanks to the price increase and the additional 100-pound capacity from upgrading his Collection Bag to level 5, the Earth Dragon Meat sandwiches had brought in an ie of 203,849.

    Without taking into ount the rent and renovation costs, the expenses were slightly lower than the previous week at 1,522.2, resulting in a profit of 202,326.8.

    Ma Lu had initially wanted to upgrade his Collection Bag all the way to level 6 in one go, but ultimately, he resisted the urge.

    Even though The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall''s poprity could easily handle another hundred pounds of ingredients, this would mean working more than seven hours a day.

    And with Ma Lu needing to prepare for the restaurant''s opening, even at his young age, it was a bit overwhelming.

    Additionally, since in the past he only needed to upgrade equipment, he could simply buy a new cell phone to feed to number 6, but the desktop farm he was nning to acquire required used value for repairs.

    So, Ma Lu was also considering buying some second-hand electronics to see how to exchange them more economically, yet the market for used electronics was quite tricky.

    He once saw on Bilibili a fantasy story about a graphics card with a broken core that continued to show up on the Little Yellow Fish marketce after being passed between several repair vloggers with a white cloth cover. Readtest chapters at m_v-l''e|-NovelBin

    Byparison, face-to-face transactions in the same city seemed more reliable, but Ma Lu didn''t have time this week and could only put it off until the next.

    "Universe-wide eggs, smooth eggs everywhere!"

    As Ma Lu let go of all distractions and uttered this passphrase, his body disappeared from the couch.

    Giant Curtain. The atmosphere in the city was somewhat tense.

    The streets were much quieter than usual, especially on the first level, where many shops had closed.

    Just three days ago, over two hundred Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vultures and White-headed Desert Chilopoda had squeezed into the city through the gaps in the sky dome''s sr panels, rampaging and attacking everywhere.

    Although they were eventually eliminated by the Hunters and enforcers who arrived in time, it still resulted in some casualties.

    Ultimately, the city council decided to temporarily relocate ordinary people from the first level underground.

    Boggy''s apartment was also on the first level, but as a Hunter, she didn''t need to move.

    And since there were no customers, Mai Mai simply closed her perfume shop and moved in with Boggy.

    ```

    Seta and Sadie, after taking their parents down to the second underground level, returned back to the surface and found an empty room next to Boggy''s to settle in.

    Because Ma Lu was absent, the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group hadn''t been very active during this period, epting at most some less dangerous cleaning tasks, lightly hunting the Two-Headed Hyenas and Angr Belly ck Swift Snakes near the city gates, maintaining a low profile.

    However, due to their previous disy of formidable strength in battles against the Alien-Lipped Sand Worm Swarm, Emperor Redback Scorpion, and Earth Dragon, they inevitably caught people''s attention.

    This was already the fourth time the Hunter''s Guild had sent someone to Boggy''s residence.

    And this time, it was the Vice President of the guild, Qin Zhao, who hade. Boggy was no stranger to Qin Zhao, as thetter was a close friend of her father.

    They had been ssmates in school, andter had fought side-by-side in the same Hunting Group.

    Qin Zhao''s track record as a hunter was also quite distinguished. Although not quite on par with Li, he was nevertheless the ace of another Diamond Hunting Group.

    But after being injured and retiring, he joined the Hunter''s Guild to manage the evaluation and examination of Hunting Groups.

    Boggy had met Qin Zhao more than once when she was younger, and Qin Zhao had also helped organize Li''s funeral. Thest time the two met was around four months ago, when Boggy graduated.

    After entering the room, Qin Zhao nodded towards Mai Mai, who was engrossed in a magazine on the beach chair, before turning his gaze back to Boggy, his look carrying a hint of approval.

    "Uncle Qin," Boggy said somewhat helplessly, exining,

    "Our reluctance to take on tasks isn''t because the guild''s rewards are low. Faced with the current situation, all hunters should unite and fight for the Giant Curtain. The Twin Sunflower Hunting Group is of course no exception.

    "Even without a reward, we would still do our best. The reason we haven''t taken on more difficult tasks is that our core members have some things that are not in ce yet. Our current strength is insufficient toplete higher-levelmissions, and as the leader, I must take responsibility for the safety of my team members.

    "But rest assured, once we are fully assembled, we will be back in action very soon."

    "I know," Qin Zhao said, "Courage is important, but knowing the limits of oneself and one''s team is equally important for a leader.

    "I am d you realize this point, you are already a qualified leader. I am not here to urge you to action."

    As he spoke, Qin Zhao pulled a small box from his pocket.

    Mai Mai, who was originally reading the magazine, also looked up at that moment, her voice filled with surprise, "Inside this is...?"

    "Silver Badge," Qin Zhao said with a smile, "Congrattions. After the guild''s evaluation, your group is now a Silver-Ranked Hunting Group.

    "Normally, the guild would hold a small medal awarding ceremony for newly advanced Silver-Ranked Hunting Groups. But given the special circumstances, there is no ceremony, yet as the presenter, I still needed to make an appearance."

    Opening the box, Boggy indeed saw a badge made of silver, shaped like the Twin Sunflower.

    Had they advanced again so soon?

    Noticing Boggy''s confused look, Qin Zhao waved his hand dismissively.

    "I did not bend the rules for you, this is what you deserve. That battle was very splendid; even the President couldn''t stop praising you.

    "Hunting a mature Earth Dragon by four people alone is Diamond Level performance in terms of strength, but bing a Diamond isn''t that easy. One must also have made significant contributions to the Giant Curtain."

    "Is that so, such as?"

    An unfamiliar voice suddenly rang from behind Qin Zhao.

 Chapter 98: Chapter 98 Equipment

    Qin Zhao was taken aback by the words, although his strength was no longer what it once had been, his perception as a top hunter remained intact. Yet, he had not noticed when the person behind him had appeared.

    Mai Mai''s eyes lit up, she dropped the magazine in her hand, and cheered, "Vice-captain, you''ve finally returned!"

    Boggy''s expression was somewhat unnatural, only nodding slightly towards Ma Lu.

    By then, Ma Lu had already walked over and sat down on the sofa in front of Qin Zhao.

    "Your Excellency must be Ma Lu."

    Qin Zhao was also curious about the mysterious vice-captain of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group. The name Twin Sunflower had be well-known throughout the Giant Curtain, and the Guild had naturally conducted rted investigations.

    However, while others were easy to gather information on, it was virtually impossible to collect any intelligence about Ma Lu, the vice-captain.

    The only certainty was that he did not seem to be a local from Giant Curtain, having arrived here only recently, and he seldom appeared in the city.

    "Indeed, you are...?"

    "Vice-chairman of the Hunter''s Guild, Qin Zhao," Qin Zhao introduced himself.

    "Ah, a name I''ve long heard of."

    Although Ma Lu said so, he was in fact hearing about the vice-chairman for the first time.

    After shaking hands, Qin Zhao looked towards Boggy, "It appears your personnel have all assembled."

    This time, the young girl didn''t demur, asking directly, "What does the Guild want us to do?"

    "You truly are that man''s daughter, handling matters with the same straightforward and decisive style as your father. Since that''s the case, I won''t beat around the bush."

    Qin Zhao first offered praise, then said solemnly, "Here''s the situation¡ªording to thetest information we''ve received, two six-armed ancient apes are approaching the Giant Curtain, terrifying titans that live within the Death Forbidden Zone.

    "They''re even stronger than the Earth Dragon you eliminated before. Their strength is remarkable, and even the concrete walls of the Giant Curtain cannot withstand their continuous pounding, so we must eradicate this threat before theye close to the city."

    Mai Mai touched her nose, "Six-armed ancient apes, legendary prey, huh? And there are two of them? Does the Guild really trust us that much? To entrust us with such a task, even though we''ve only just been promoted to a Silver-Ranked Hunting Group?"

    "Of course, it''s not about facing the six-armed ancient apes alone¡ªthat would be too much to ask. Actually, this is abined mission, with over a dozen other hunting groups participating, which will split into two teams for the operation."

    Qin Zhao paused for a moment, then continued, "There''s no choice¡ªthe Guild is severely understaffed right now, with most of the higher-ranked groups dispatched to deal with the three Iron-Eating Scarabs underground that have been gnawing at the foundation of Giant Curtain, posing a serious threat to the lower levels'' safety and requiring priority attention.

    "As a result, we have very few avable to handle the six-armed ancient apes. Given their level, ordinary hunting groups would just be marching to their deaths. It would take at least a Gold Level group to be of any use.

    "Although you''re only Silver-Ranked, you managed to individually take down a mature Earth Dragon¡ªthere''s no question about your strength, but I wonder if you''re willing to take action this time?" Qin Zhao''s eyes were filled with anticipation.

    And Boggy did not disappoint him, "When do we depart?"

    "The sooner the better. The two six-armed ancient apes are very close to us now, and the other hunting groups should be gradually heading to the Guild hall as we speak."

    "Alright. Then we''ll get ready and head over soon."

    After Qin Zhao left, Ma Lu went to change into his hunting clothes.

    Last time, the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group sessively bagged an Emperor Redback Scorpion and an Earth Dragon, with just these two beasts fetching a sale of 1 million and 2.8 million Electric Degrees, respectively.

    In addition, there were numerous low-star ingredients, hauled back by Boggy and Seta by the cartload, totaling another 300,000.

    Adding themission from the guild, even if divided among the five of them, each person could get their hands on nearly 900,000 in profit¡ªit was a direct jackpot!

    And the first thing to do with money was to upgrade their equipment, even Seta and Sadie weren''t being stingy this time.

    The Giant Curtain was facing a beast tide that was rare in a century, and at such times, enhancing one''s strength was the top priority. Nothing was more important than surviving; if they couldn''t withstand the beast tide, all the money saved would be useless.

    So, afterward, they had a heavy shopping spree, and now they were all wearing top-grade hunting clothes.

    Made from the pelts of powerful beasts, they were lighter and had stronger defensive power, capable of withstandingmon attacks¡ªa regr person couldn''t even pierce them with a small knife.

    Besides hunting clothes, the five also supplemented their equipment with many other items ording to theirbat habits, such as smoke bombs, high-explosive grenades, breasttes, arm shields, and so on...

    However, the real heavy hitter was still toe.

    Just as Qin Zhao left, a transport vehicle with a strong urban street style and sprayed with colorful paint, pulled up downstairs of the apartment.

    Then, a man wearing a id shirt, oversized shorts, and slippers got out of it.

    His way of announcing his arrival was also special¡ªhe ced a high-powered radio on the roof of the car and, unconcerned about those around him, started sting heavy metal rock music.

    Afterward, while yawning, he took a **beep** from his shorts and started urinating against the wall.

    "You''re still ascking in ss as ever, Kolete," Mai Mai said as the five members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group came down from upstairs.

    The man in the id shirt zipped up and responded indifferently, "It''s the privilege of genius, something you ordinary people wouldn''t understand. Besides, it''s the apocalypse now, who cares about such things? You should let yourself go and do whatever you want to do. That way, you won''t have any regrets when you drop dead!"

    "No, it''s not time to despair yet. We will defend the Giant Curtain," Boggy said.

    "Eh... That''s some big talk," Kolete said, tilting his neck and sizing up the five, "I hope you''re worthy of my babies. Don''t die too quickly; I still want to collect more user feedback."

    While saying this, he opened the rear of the transport vehicle, which contained four differently-sized boxes.

    "The design drawings you brought back earlier, I''ve been studying them and have sessfully restored a few. ording to our agreement, they are all yours."

    While speaking, he opened the first box, which contained five ck masks.

    "I call this piece of equipment¡ªthe Viin Mask," Kolete exined, "When worn, it can hide your face; the pure ck paint makes you look ruthless, deterring others from provoking you easily. Heh heh heh.

    "Of course, apart from its cool appearance, it can also shield your nose and mouth from dust and sand, much better than a bandana.

    "In addition, it has a built-in radiomunication system that allows team members within a 5-kilometer range tomunicate in real-time, facilitating your coordination duringbat. Oh, and the most important thing..."

    Kolete put on a mask and then took a smoke grenade from his waist, pulling out the pin without a second thought. Soon, the choking smoke spread out.

    Seeing this, all the members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group stepped back.

    But Kolete didn''t move; he just gently pressed a button on the edge and stood there confidently amidst the smoke.

    Continue your saga on m|v-l''e -NovelBin

    About a minuteter, when the smoke had dispersed, Kolete was unharmed.

    "Oxygen mask mode,"

    Kolete said, "This mask can temporarily function as an oxygen mask, helping you handle some anoxic and poisonous environments. But remember, this mode can onlyst for 3 minutes each time. Any longer, and you will suffocate too."

 Chapter 99 New School

    Having finished introducing the Viin Mask, Kolete opened another box.

    "¡ª Alloy Electric Spear Mark II. Compared to the regr mechanical spears in the market, it has a higher voltage and a stronger current, capable of paralyzing medium torge prey to a certain extent.

    "In addition, the spear itself is forged from a special alloy, extremely sturdy, almost unbreakable, and wears very little, making it perfect for extendedbat."

    Boggy lifted one out of the box and found that this enhanced version of the mechanical spear was slightly heavier than the regr one, with a sharper tip and a blood groove on it.

    As for the electric shock effect, that would have to be tested in actualbat, but for now, Boggy was quite satisfied with the new weapon in hand.

    Kolete, his hands never stopping, had already opened the third chest by now, and this time, the contents were somewhat familiar to Ma Lu.

    ¡ª Handgun.

    Perhaps because of the different natural resources avable, the technology between the two nes also varied quite a bit.

    Ma Lu had hardly seen any firearms here, as most of the weapons and equipment were electrically driven.

    Like his previous hand crossbow, and now the handgun in front of him, which, strictly speaking, was also an electrically powered piece of equipment.

    The bullets were propelled by an electric motorpressing air, not ignited gunpowder.

    This handgun, referred to by Kolete as the Destroyer, was at least three times the size of traditional handguns; even an M500 appeared somewhat miniature inparison. Perhaps ''hand cannon'' was a more fitting name for it.

    Its weight was also staggering, almost 5kg, which would fatigue its user if held for a while¡ªa bona fide piece of gym equipment.

    However, the sacrifice in size and weight was exchanged for an increase in power; the range also increased from the 15-20 meters of the hand crossbow to 50 meters.

    It could also be equipped with more than one type of bullet: besides the standard metal rounds, there were tranquilizer, explosive, smoke, and electric shot... At the same time,pared to the hand crossbow that could only shoot one arrow at a time, the Destroyer could achieve a five-round burst, further enhancing its practicality.

    And the weight was not a problem for Ma Lu, thanks to the blessings of the Meat Pigeon he could pile on.

    As for the size, well, it certainly wasn''t suitable for tucking into a coat for a sneak attack, but, it must be said, holding it in hand looked quite stylish.

    For men, bigger is better! Bigger is cooler!

    And Ma Lu particrly liked its multi-bullet mode, useful for handling various situations

    Especially once he got the desktop farming plot fixed up, it would be time for the tranquilizer and electric rounds to shine when he needed to catch live ones.

    After introducing the first three pieces of equipment, Kolete moved to thest and also thergest box.

    His mood also became more excited, and he even went to the radio to switch to an even wilder song.

    Only when the melody reached its climax did he open that chest.

    Inside was an extrarge backpack.

    "¡ª Fury Wings."

    Kolete whistled and introduced, "Product of lost technology, my favorite piece of equipment, it can grant hunters the ability to fly.

    "Although it onlysts for four and a half minutes with a maximum altitude of 120 meters, the speed can reach 50 meters per second, which exceeds many flying beasts."

    "But to use it proficiently requires a lot of training, I''m not sure if you''ll still have the chance for that."

    "Don''t jinx us, if we die, you won''t live much longer either," Mai Mai said.

    Kolete was unconcerned, "Everyone will die, it''s just a matter of sooner orter. It is for this reason that we must enjoy life even more!"

    "Anyway, thanks for bringing the new equipment over."

    Mai Mai said, "We''re about to leave the city, and we should be able to make use of these items."

    "You''re wee, just remember to send any lost technology artifacts you find to me for research first." Kolete said, "Also, please help me keep a record of how the equipment is used."

    Enjoy new stories from m-v l''e|-NovelBin

    "No problem."

    "Alright, go do what you need to do, I''m going to find a ce to have a drink."

    After saying that, Kolete hitched up his pants and went back to the transport vehicle. Without bothering to take the radio back from the roof, he drove off while ring rock music.

    "He really is an oddball," Seta said.

    "Yeah, but he''s also the best weapons expert in Giant Curtain," Mai Mai said, "Maybe that''s the privilege of a genius he was talking about."

    "Kolete, I''ve heard that name too," Boggy said, "It''s said that he is also the equipment consultant for two Diamond Hunting Groups. I thought he would be an old man, but it turns out he''s pretty young."

    While they were talking, the members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group had already divided up the batch of equipment.

    Each person got a Viin Mask just right, there were three Alloy Electric Spears Mark II in total; Boggy took two, and the other one went to Seta.

    There were two Destroyers, one for Ma Lu and one for Mai Mai, and thest two Fury Wings were temporarily ced on the motorcycles of Boggy and Sadie.

    The five of them didn''t head straight to the guild hall but instead went to the market on the underground floor first, where they spent 10,000 Electric Degrees to purchase a batch of fresh game.

    It was the beast tide now, so the purchasing price for various meats had dropped quite a bit, but at the same time, the selling prices had be cheaper as well.

    Moreover, Ma Lu nned to resell them after killing them, and with 10,000 Electric Degrees, he managed to buy 7 three-star ingredients and 124 two-star ingredients.

    In total, he obtained 3 Golden Blessing strips, 36 Purple Blessing strips, and 92 Blue Blessing strips.

    Ma Lu had purchased [Troubles of Happiness] in thest round, but because blessings refreshed too quickly and he didn''t have time to choose, he didn''t realize the function of this strange item worth 1999 points until now.

    An extra option increased the chances of obtaining high-quality blessings significantly.

    Adding to his good luck this time, the 7 three-star ingredients yielded 3 Golden Blessings.

    Moreover, this time Ma Lu had already decided on the school of tactics he wanted to build from the start.

    He first used Sticky Web to get back a Purple Blessing.

    [Puppet Master: After killing a target, your team members have a 33% chance to turn the target into a Corpse Puppet, which can exist for 7 minutes each, with a maximum of 15 Corpse Puppets at the same time.]

    This Purple Blessing was a surprise gain for Ma Lu thest time he left, when he was sniping small monsters on the city wall to collect points.

    And he soon recognized the value of this blessing.

    ¡ªSummoning style, and it was the core blessing of the undead summoning style.

    Like the Explosion Flow, the undead summoning style was also well-suited to cope with the current environment filled with monsters.

    Compared to the Explosion Flow, the undead summoning style had additional uses.

    This is why Ma Lu, as soon as the game started, was willing to give up a divine skill like [Charge with Hits] to stick with [Puppet Master], and did so without hesitation.

    He also promptly activated the effect of the work n, specifying [Puppet Master] to build his school of tactics.

    As for the Golden Blessing, he still chose [Super Mimicry Show].

    Besides, Ma Lu also earned a massive amount of points in thest round of the game.

    A total of 21,542 points, plus the remaining 6,832 points from before, he now had a total of 27,374 points on him.

    So, he bought two more strange items from the Strange Object Store.

 Chapter 100: Chapter 100 Chaos

    [Strengthening Soap]

    ¡ª¡ªFor every 30 Blue Blessings or higher the team owns, all members and their animals and puppets gain a 10% increase in all attributes. Price: 1499

    [0.5x Speed yer]

    ¡ª¡ªThe duration of status buffs (excluding cooldown) is doubled. Price: 2900

    The two enchanted items that Ma Lu had recently acquired were expensive, but their effects were also very impressive, and they were just what he needed at the moment.

    With the Strengthening Soap in hand, the 131 blessings alone could provide a 40% enhancement to the four-dimensional attributes of the team.

    Boggy''s Wind-walking Prairie Wolf, Seta''s Sand Soil Puppet, as well as the Corpse Puppets subsequently created by the [Puppet Master] would also benefit from this enhancement.

    Meanwhile, under the effect of the 0.5x Speed yer, the existence time of the Corpse Puppets created by the [Puppet Master] could be increased from the original 7 minutes to 14 minutes.

    Furthermore, the duration of negative states inflicted by attacks could also be extended, so despite their high price, these two enchanted items truly offered value for their cost.

    Among the 131 blessings that appearedter, Ma Lu got his hands on many useful blessings, including but not limited to two Golden Blessings¡ª

    [Army of the Dead: There is now no upper limit to the number of Corpse Puppets that can exist at the same time]

    [Corpse Party: When the number of Corpse Puppets on the field exceeds 10, a Corpse Party can be activated for 15 seconds with a 20-minute cooldown. During the Corpse Party, the speed and reaction of all Corpse Puppets are enhanced by 100%, while their strength and stamina are reduced by 50%]

    As well as three Purple Blessings

    [Full Body Hardening: Corpse Puppets no longer have the usual biological weaknesses, can ignore most fatal injuries except decapitation]

    [Infection: There is a 33% chance that targets killed by Corpse Puppets will also turn into Corpse Puppets]

    [Rotting Curse: There is a 33% chance for Corpse Puppets to inflict rot on their targets with their attacks, causing the injury to continuously worsen in a state of decay]

    And among the Blue Blessings, [Loyal Companion: The four basic attributes of animals and puppets in the team are increased by 20%] also proved to be very effective.

    After obtaining these blessings, Ma Lu''s necromancy summoning stream was basically well established.

    In addition, he got many blessings that directly enhanced the strength of the team, stacking the four basic attributes to more than 170%, and some blessings suitable for the psychic powers of the other four members.

    It was only after all the preparations werepleted that the five members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group rushed to the guild hall.

    And as soon as they arrived, they attracted countless gazes.

    Not to mention anything else, but just putting on those dark masks instantly maxed out their stylishness, giving off an air of being a team of viins.

    Moreover, the five members had nowpletely changed their equipment from head to toe, all of it high-end gear.

    While such outfits might not be much for veteran hunters from Gold Level or higher Hunting Groups, paired with their excessively young age, it was hard not to draw attention.

    As the only Silver Level Hunting Group in this jointmission, their entrance didn''t lose out in momentum to those from the Diamond and Gold Level Hunting Groups.

    Boggy made her way to the counter and filled in themission application form.

    No sooner had she set down the pen than Wei Cha walked over.

    "You''re also here for the hunt of the Six-armed Ancient Ape, right?" the captain of the me Tooth spoke straightforwardly, "How about teaming up with me?"

    "Hmm?"

    "There are two Six-armed Ancient Apes, our fifteen Hunting Groups will divide into two squads to act, and I am leading one of the squads," Wei Cha exined.

    "Aside from my me Tooth, I can choose six to seven more Hunting Groups to act with me, oh right, your rtionship with the Harpist Hunting Group seems not bad either, Captain Guli and his people are also in my squad."

    Boggy was somewhat tempted upon hearing this, and just as she was about to agree, Ma Lu said, "Sorry, Captain Wei Cha, we would still prefer to join the other team."

    Wei Cha frowned, "The Cyren Hunting Group may be Diamond Level, but the person leading the team this time isn''t their captain, He Chengyu, but his sister He Yueji.

    "Although He Yueji is not weak, she is very petty, cold-blooded, and a thorough believer in the supremacy of strength. In her eyes, weakness is a greater sin than evil itself."

    "Eh... she sounds like a pretty interesting person; all the more reason to meet her."

    Although Ma Lu did not understand why Wei Cha, with his better reputation and past experience fighting alongside him, was unwilling to follow, as the captain, Boggy still chose to unconditionally support his deputy captain.

    "We will join forces with the Cyren Hunting Group."

    Having said his piece, Wei Cha did not try to persuade them further and nodded.

    "All right, just be careful on your own, and if we finish the fight early, we will also rush over to provide support."

    After saying this, Wei Cha turned and walked away.

    However, the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group soon hit a wall when dealing with He Yueji.

    "A Silver Level Hunting Group?"

    The red-haired He Yueji sat at the reception desk in the hall, looking at the five people in front of her with a mocking smile, "No, I don''t need trash here."

    Her words triggered a burst ofughter from her subordinates.

    And the hunters from the other nearby Hunting Groups, upon witnessing this scene, mostly remained silent.

    The Twin Sunflower Hunting Group had made a name for itself in the Giant Curtain, especially after sessfully hunting the Earth Dragon, and few people doubted their strength anymore.

    But presumably because they were too prominent, He Yueji felt displeased and purposefully used the Hunting Group''s level to humiliate them.

    At such a time, no one would stand up for a newly prominent, small Hunting Group and offend a Diamond Level Hunting Group still in its prime.

    Ma Lu''s response was also quite simple, consisting of just three words.

    "Take them down!"

    Before his words fell, Seta, who had been seething with anger, had already charged forward, punching a guy who had just beenughing heartily in the face and knocking two of his teeth out.

    Then, before thepanion at the side of the stricken man could react, Setanded a flying knee on the man''s stomach, making him vomit up stomach acid.

    However, at that moment, a pair ofrge hands grabbed Seta''s shoulders. They belonged to a burly man, standing 1m9 tall and weighing over two hundred pounds, but he was unable to lift Seta off the ground.

    Instead, Seta grabbed him by the joint and threw him over his shoulder to the ground!

    The man''s massive body hitting the floor shook the entire hall, even crushing another hunter who rushed forward underneath him.

    On the other side, Boggy had quietly taken down three people.

    The color finally drained from He Yueji''s face, especially when she heard Ma Lu''s following words, which nearly made her lungs explode with fury.

    "Since Deputy Captain He says you don''t want trash here, we''ll help you out by cleaning up the trash, no need to thank me too much."

    He Yueji bellowed with rage, "Looking for death!"

    As she spoke, she was about to pounce but was kicked in the chest by Ma Lu, who acted first, sending her tumbling off the desk.

    Seeing that they were getting nowhere with their bare hands, the remaining Cyren hunters began to draw their weapons.

    Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, amanding shout came from outside the door.

    "Stop fighting, anyone who dares to make another move will have their hunting qualifications revoked!" Find your next adventure on m_v l|e-NovelBin

 Chapter 101 The Supremacy of Strength

    Qin Zhao walked in with a livid face from outside the door, surrounded by several members of the city council.

    They hade intending to cheer on and send off the brave warriors who were about to guard the Giant Curtain and face the beast tide, but they did not expect to witness such an embarrassing scene.

    The Hunting Group hadn''t even left the city to fight those wild beasts when their own members started fighting amongst themselves.

    He Yueji was almost furious. Ma Lu''s kick hadn''t injured her, but it did cause her great loss of face. There was now a shoe print on her Hunting Clothes, located right on her right breast, and it was in 3D.

    Even after hearing Qin Zhao''s warning, she showed no intention of stopping. In the end, it was the other Hunters from the Cyren Hunting Group who forcefully stopped her, thus preserving her Hunter status.

    Looking at the disheveled and infuriated He Yueji, with veins popping on her forehead, Ma Lu could feel her rage from several steps away.

    And indeed, she had every reason to be furious; the strength of the Diamond Hunting Group certainly wasn''t just this.

    But the incident was sudden and it was a brawl¡ªthere was no deadly feud between the two sides. No one used weapons or released their Psychic Powers at the start.

    As a result, with the current four-dimensional Attributes enhancement of 170% from the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, whoever came was just giving it away for free.

    Seta easily defeated four single-handedly, Boggy, without taking it too seriously, brought down three men, and even Ma Lu, who usually remained inconspicuous, took advantage of He Yueji sitting on the table and unable to get up in time, and sessfully ambushed her, kicking her to the ground.

    And to others, it looked like a Silver Hunting Group sessfully beating up a Diamond Hunting Group, rendering them utterly incapable of fighting back.

    It wouldn''t be surprising if He Yueji wasn''t furious. Although she was stopped by others, she still stretched out her hand and cursed at Ma Lu, "You motherfucking bastard, dare you have a fair fight with me? If I don''t beat you to death, I''ll take your surname!"

    Qin Zhao''s face darkened as he heard her cursing.

    It wasn''t until he looked at the members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, who were standing still, not fighting back or retorting, that his brow slightly rxed.

    He didn''t ask why the two sides were fighting, only saying.

    "We are about to leave the city and everyone is counting on you to resolve this crisis. I just want to ask one question, do you really want to put your personal grudges above the safety of the tens of thousands of people under the Giant Curtain?"

    "Of course not," Boggy stated first.

    After cursing a few more times and seeing everyone looking at her, even her own Hunting Group''s Hunters held back their words, He Yueji finally spat out hatefully, "Damn it, I''ll remember this. We''ll settle this scoreter."

    Wei Cha brought up the past at this point, "Since Twin Sunflower Hunting Group is no longer suitable to team up with Cyren Hunting Group, why don''t you join us instead?"

    "Also¡­" Qin Zhao was about to express his agreement, but then he heard Ma Lu firmly say, "I don''t believe that Vice Leader He and Cyren Hunting Group would be so petty. The previous incident was just a small misunderstanding and will not affect the uing actions."

    This statement not only surprised Wei Cha and Qin Zhao, but even He Yueji was stupefied, and after a moment, a cold smile appeared on her face.

    "Bold! I admit that I underestimated you before. Since you insist on following me, then I will take good care of you too."

    Perhaps realizing that there would be plenty of opportunities to turn the tablester, He Yueji was not as angry as before. However, she refused the handkerchief passed to her by a staff member on the side, thus leaving that footprint on her chest. Enjoy more content from m-v l''e|-NovelBin

    Those who truly understood He Yueji knew that she was genuinely enraged this time, but in addition to the boundless anger in her eyes when she looked at Ma Lu, there was a trace of admiration that crept in unconsciously.

    Wei Cha was right; the woman was an absolute strength supremacist.

    In her eyes, showing weakness and forbearance only invites more contempt and humiliation from her, whereas those who genuinely stand their ground against her might actually earn her respect¡ªas long as you''re not afraid of her rage consuming you.

    Because of this disruption, the visiting council members did not give long speeches, but simply made a few perfunctory remarks before hastily departing.

    Afterward, Qin Zhao offered a few more instructions, and Wei Cha led people to Gate 1, while He Yueji and her group arrived at Gate 2.

    In recent times, with numerous Hunting Groups departing daily to clear out wild beasts, the area around the Giant Curtain has seen a significant decrease in wildlife, not as densely popted as before.

    However, the decrease inmon wild beasts has been matched by an increase in perilous beasts, making the dangers outside the city worse rather than better.

    Ma Lu had thought that He Yueji would have them take the lead, but when He Yueji arranged the personnel, she ced them in the safest position, in the very middle of the team.

    With He Yueji''s pettiness, it certainly wasn''t out of genuine concern for the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group.

    Ma Lu figured she was just putting on a show before leaving the city,

    to demonstrate to the people inside that she held no grudges for personal reasons.

    As soon as they''d be farther away, she would surely be impatient.

    Moreover, the pressure was actually smaller just after leaving the city, and it would be increasingly dangerous the farther they went.

    Especially when facing the Six-armed Ancient Ape, if it were "their turn" to take the lead, the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group would at least have no grounds toin on the surface.

    Actually, Ma Lu did not want to offend He Yueji and the Cyren Hunting Group, but he hadpelling reasons to be part of her team.

    His gaze fell on a figure at the front of the team.

    Almost at the same time, Mai Mai nudged Ma Lu''s back with her shoulder, whispering, "Hey, have you thought about when to make your move?"

    "Hmm, no rush," Ma Lu responded casually, then he realized what she meant, "Make what move?"

    "Hehe, you''ve given yourself away, but never mind the rest, I''m your little assistant, how could you possibly keep any secrets from me when you''re up to no good."

    Mai Mai said with hands on her hips and a smug expression, "You''re putting up with He Yueji just to deal with Sanrew from the same team, aren''t you?"

    Ma Lu nced at Boggy not far away and said somewhat helplessly, "Don''t tell the others, especially the captain... otherwise she''s probably going to agonize over it again."

    "Hmm, that kid indeed has an upright nature, and like her father, always prioritizes the bigger picture. But can you deal with Sanrew by yourself?"

    "I couldn''t have before, but this time it shouldn''t be a big problem."

    Ma Lu had two objectives for this trip, one was to find an ingredient that could entice the Werewolf, and the other was to eliminate the threat of Sanrew.

    Strictly speaking, killing Sanrew wasn''t hard; after all, with enough blessings piled up, even a god could be dispatched by Ma Lu. So, the difficulty lies in how to kill Sanrew without raising suspicion.

    Especially after the incidents with the Hunting Group members and Jinjian, Sanrew had be incredibly cautious, almost never acting alone, and always surrounded by a crowd no matter where he went.

    Killing him secretly had be nearly impossible, and to take action under everyone''s gaze would vite thews of the Giant Curtain; moreover, openly attacking a fellow Hunter on the same team at such a time would have a terrible impact.

    Until Ma Lu obtained the [Puppet Master].

    The emergence of this Purple Blessing made the n to kill Sanrew in in sight feasible.

 Chapter 102 Stealing the Killing Blow

    The Hunting Team had barely left the city when they were attacked, but this time, the party wasprised of elite soldiers.

    The beasts that charged at them were quickly dealt with by the Hunting Group leading the way, and they did not affect the Hunting Team''s travel speed.

    It wasn''t until the seventh minute that they encountered a Giant w Lord, which had secretly amassed an army amidst the beast tide.

    Though the beasts under itsmand were not as powerful as it, their sheer numbers posed a challenge. Moreover, the Giant w Lord was cunning, ordering its minions to charge while it hid beneath the sand, waiting for an opportunity tounch a surprise attack.

    Relying solely on the vanguard to resolve such a multitude of beasts was clearly insufficient; the Hunting Team had to slow down, and many hunters even jumped off their motorcycles to deal with the never-ending stream of beasts surrounding them.

    He Yueji''s expression remained unchanged as she used her Flying Sickle to kill a grey-backed jackal that came too close, and then she gestured to the two teammates beside her with a nod of her chin.

    "Go and find that Giant w Lord, and take it down," she said.

    Upon hearing this, a petite female hunter crouched down on the sands, activating her Beast-Series Psychic Ability.

    Within moments, she could hear every movement within a mile radius, but due to the abundance of nearby creatures, it took her a full four minutes to locate the crafty Giant w Lord.

    "Over there," the petite hunter rose to her feet and pointed towards the base of a sand dune.

    Hearing this, a tall and thin man with dense tattoos covering his face strode towards the indicated sand dune.

    When he arrived in front of the dune, he plunged his hands into the gravel and began chanting an incantation.

    Unlike other hunters, his powers activated significantly slower, taking almost a minute to warm up.

    Ma Lu then saw the sand dune tremble, as a giant w emerged from beneath, followed by a forelimb.

    It seemed the Giant w Lord attempted to burrow out from under the dune, but after revealing only part of its body, it got stuck.

    Despite its struggles, the rest of its body could not make it to the surface.

    The nearby gravel waspressed by an invisible force.

    Now was the moment!

    The hunters of the Cyren Hunting Group had hunted together countless times and disyed remarkable teamwork.

    As the Giant w Lord was trapped, two hunters immediately rushed up with heat-cutting machines, slicing off a portion of the Giant w Lord''s sturdy shell, then stabbed it with a Mechanical Spear.

    The Giant w Lord struggled fiercely after being struck in a vital spot, and blood flowed from the tattooed hunter''s nose.

    However, the Giant w Lord''s struggles soon weakened, and just before its dying breath, a huge bullet over 16mm in diameter entered its wound, iming itsst trace of life.

    He Yueji suddenly turned around, looked at Ma Lu holding the Destroyer, and snorted coldly, "Nosy."

    "None of your business."

    Ma Lu shot back unabashedly, then whispered to Mai Mai in the back seat, "Thanks."

    Thetter responded with an OK sign.

    For Ma Lu, hitting therge and immobile Giant w Lord was not difficult, but aiming for the vulnerable spot exposed by the cut shell was not so easy.

    So, thatst shot was actually Mai Mai''s doing.

    Mai Mai, praised by Li Zan as a top-tier hunter, had impable marksmanship and timing, and with the added power of her newly acquired weapon, the Destroyer, she sessfully snagged the kill from the Cyren Hunting Team.

    And Ma Lu''s luck for the day continued.

    After the death of the Giant w Lord, the [Puppet Master] effect was triggered, sessfully turning it into a Corpse Puppet.

    This was Ma Lu''s first time owning a Corpse Puppet.

    In his field of vision, the Giant w Lord''s massive body radiated red light, distinguishing it from other creatures, almost as if it were a selected unit in a game.

    And when Ma Lu focused on the Giant w Lord, three options appeared

    ¡ª Move, Attack, and Defend.

    It''s a pity there are no skills, the Giant w Lord itself has the ability tomand the surrounding wild beasts, but after bing a Corpse Puppet, this ability was no longer avable.

    Watching the Giant w Lord fall to the ground, the Cyren hunters responsible for the attack and the tall, thin man with tattoos all over his face all breathed a sigh of relief, then a hint of regret shed in their eyes.

    The value of a Giant w Lord is not low, but it''s a pity they still have to deal with the Six-armed Ancient Ape next, and they don''t have time to handle the carcass right now.

    If they leave it here, by the time theye back, it will probably have been devoured by other wild beasts.

    That said, the hunters still found a piece of canvas, nning to cover the wounds and mask some of the blood scent, maybe it would actually preserve the prey.

    However, as soon as they approached, they saw a hind limb of the already dead Giant w Lord suddenly twitch, catching the hunters off guard.

    Before they could figure out what was happening, one of the Giant w Lord''s fore-ws had already been raised again!

    And it smashed violently toward the ground.

    "Hm?"

    The loud noise also drew He Yueji''s attention.

    She had been ring ferociously at Ma Lu, but when she turned around, she saw that the Giant w Lord, which had been taken down, was seemingly alive again.

    ying dead?

    Some wild beasts possess the ability to feign death, but it was the first time He Yueji had encountered a Giant w Lord doing this, and she had not heard of anything simr before.

    Was it some special effect caused by the beast tide?

    Without time to ponder the underlying reasons, He Yueji looked to the tall, thin man with the tattooed face.

    "Dormon, can you still restrain it?"

    The tall, thin man replied emotionlessly, "I need time."

    "I''ll get someone to buy you time."

    While they were talking, the resuscitated Giant w Lord swung its ws, driving back some hunters who tried to approach it.

    But afterward, it did notunch any further attacks, instead burrowing back into the sand.

    Continue your journey on mvl

    "It''s trying to escape!"

    The short female hunter, who had previously located the Giant w Lord, was now lying on the sand again, carefully listening to the noisesing from underground and warning them.

    "Which direction did it go? Let''s pursue it," offered two hunters.

    But after some thought, He Yueji shook her head and said, "Never mind, let it go. Our target this time is the Six-armed Ancient Ape. Don''t waste time and energy on these minor characters. Let''s clean up the nearby beasts quickly and continue forward."

    Hearing this, the others also had no objections.

    Meanwhile, after the Giant w Lord''s Corpse Puppet burrowed into the sand, Ma Lu lost sight of it, but the red light underground was still there, along with the previous three options.

    Ma Lu asked Mai Mai and discovered that, same as the previous poisonyers, only he could see these red lights and options.

    He tried controlling the Corpse Puppet to move underground for a distance, only letting it resurface after escaping the danger.

    Because two sand dunes blocked the view, Ma Lu could not see the situation on the other side, but this did not prevent him from issuing an attackmand.

 Chapter 103: Chapter 103 Accident

    After obtaining the Corpse Puppet of the Giant w Lord, Ma Lu had thought about using it tounch a surprise attack on Sanrew.

    However, ck Horn was, after all, part of the Golden Hunting Group, and a beast like the Giant w Lord obviously wouldn''t be able to kill Sanrew.

    Moreover, after testing it, Ma Lu found that the Corpse Puppet in its current state only retained about 70% of the Giant w Lord''s base attributes, especially the speed, which had halved.

    But this was understandable; after all, it was dead and certainly not as agile as when it was alive.

    Luckily, this wasn''t a problem, as Ma Lu hadpensated for the lost attributes with other blessings. Not only had hepensated for them, but he had even exceeded them a bit.

    Furthermore, the Purple Blessing [Full-Body Hardening] granted the Corpse Puppet immunity to all attacks on its weaknesses, except for decapitation.

    But relying on these alone wouldn''t be enough to kill Sanrew.

    In addition, the problem was the small female Hunter with telekic abilities near He Yueji; her hearing was exceptionally sharp, making it difficult for approaching beasts to escape her ears.

    With her around, an assassination would not be easy.

    So after some thought, Ma Lu decided to move the Corpse Puppet of the Giant w Lord away.

    It seemed a waste to let go of such a powerful Corpse Puppet so easily.

    It would be better to use it to create more Corpse Puppets.

    That''s what Ma Lu was doing now; he set the Giant w Lord''s Corpse Puppet to attack mode without a specific target, and the Corpse Puppet would automatically attack all living creatures nearby.

    With another Purple Blessing [Infection], any creature killed by the Giant w Lord''s Corpse Puppet had a 33% chance of turning into a Corpse Puppet, and currently, there was no shortage of beasts near Giant Curtain.

    A rampaging, plus version of the Giant w Lord would transform into an armory, continuously producing corpse soldiers for Ma Lu for over ten minutes.

    These corpse soldiers could then hunt other beasts, turning those beasts into Corpse Puppets as well, eventually assembling arge puppet army.

    Not only that, but during this process, Ma Lu could continue to collect blessings.

    Enhancing the squad''s and Corpse Puppets'' strength even further.

    What is a win-win situation?

    Winning twice is a win-win!

    After the Giant w Lord "escaped", the rest of the beasts lost their leader and were soon dealt with by the Hunting Team.

    He Yueji ordered to continue moving forward.

    After that, the group encountered a few more battles, but as they approached the Six-armed Ancient Ape, the density of the beasts actually decreased.

    The Six-armed Ancient Ape was by nature brutal, and even though in the beast tide, for some unknown reason, beasts rarely attacked each other, most still dared not approach the Six-armed Ancient Ape.

    So for the next part of the journey, the pressure on the Hunting Team dropped sharply, but everyone''s nerves became even more tense.

    After walking for a while, He Yueji ordered the team to halt their advance temporarily and used the radio to contact Wei Cha on the other side, checking their position and speed to avoid facing the danger of confronting two Six-armed Ancient Apes aler on.

    Then, He Yueji walked over to the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group''s five members.

    Her gaze provocatively swept over Ma Lu, and after a full 5 seconds, she finally spoke.

    "The frontal battle with the Six-armed Ancient Ape will be ferocious, so I n to set up some traps here. For that, I''ll need a team to lure that Six-armed Ancient Ape over here."

    "You want us to be the bait?" Ma Lu raised his eyebrows.

    "Exactly, do you have any objections?" He Yueji had already prepared to face the fury of the five members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, in fact, she was hoping for such a thing to happen.

    That way she could take action and righteously discipline these guys whom she had been displeased with for a long time, and incidentally, take revenge for the previous incident in the guild hall.

    Moreover, if the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group defied her orders and did not follow hermand, their reputation in the guild would also be damaged afterward.

    However, Boggy''s response was very simple, with just one word, "Fine."

    Afterward, Ma Lu''s words made He Yueji''s blood pressure rise again.

    "You''ve pondered for so long, and all you''vee up with is these childish tactics to deal with us? Or do you think we would be as afraid of that Six-armed Ancient Ape as you are?"

    "Quite the tone," He Yueji sneered, "instead of spouting grandiose words here, you''d better think about how toplete the mission. When the timees, it won''t matter if you die, but if you fail to lure the Six-armed Ancient Ape here, putting tens of thousands of people in the city in danger, then you will be the criminals of the Giant Curtain.

    "Your father will also be ashamed because of you." He Yueji''sst sentence, however, was directed at Boggy.

    Boggy''s expression remained very calm, "We won''t fail."

    She spoke with confidence because she felt the power inside her body rising continuously.

    In fact, even without He Yueji''s orders, Boggy was nning to take on the task willingly, because indeed no one was more suited to be the bait than them.

    "Hmph." He Yueji felt like she was punching cotton but said nothing more. However, it was clear that she did not trust the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group much, as she not only ordered people to start setting traps but also prepared for an encounter.

    The five members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group continued on their way. This time they were without others around them, and Ma Lu also freed up a bit, starting to use his Destroyer more diligently to st at the wild beasts along the road.

    In less than five minutes, he had generated 13 more Corpse Puppets.

    As for the ces behind Ma Lu where he couldn''t see, 14 minutes had passed, and the Giant w Lord hadpleted its mission, turning back into a corpse. However, the sweat it tirelessly sowed had begun to harvest.

    The red light was almost breaking through the sky. Ma Lu issued a movementmand to the army of Corpse Puppets behind him, but those guys moved very slowly.

    Mainly, they had to amodate the ones with short legs in the team, and along the way, some Corpse Puppets reached their time limit and fell face-first.

    To prevent their painstakingly assembled army from dwindling by the time they arrived, Ma Lu would give them the order to attack after every short distance, having them recruit some more able bodies from nearby to replenish fresh blood into their ranks.

    Overall, the size of the army was still growing. However, when Ma Lu looked back this time, he noticed that the number of red lights was rapidly declining.

    The rate of this decline clearly exceeded the natural reduction that urred when Corpse Puppets reached their time limit and suggested they had met a formidable opponent.

    Ma Lu was not worried but pleased, as there were already enough regr soldiers in the army. If he could trade some of them for a strong general, that deal would certainly be very profitable.

    On the other hand, Ma Lu called on the 13 new recruits he had just gathered to lead the way, continuing their search for the Six-armed Ancient Ape.

    Soon, a huge figure with six arms appeared on the sand dune ahead.

    But at that moment, including Ma Lu, everyone''s gaze turned to a location even further away. Your next journey awaits at mvl

    There an enormous yellow wall, impossible to see the end of, was rapidly approaching from afar.

    "What is that?" Ma Lu asked.

    "A sandstorm." Mai Mai looked concerned.

 Chapter 104 Dont Look Back

    Ma Lu had seen a sandstorm before.

    Earlier this year, City B had encountered one.

    The city was shrouded in yellow sand, with PM10 concentrations exceeding 1000 micrograms per cubic meter at its worst, and the sky was a dim yellow, so much so that opening your mouth would fill it with sand.

    However, a city''s sandstorm is a whole different beast from a desert sandstorm, and as for danger, the former doesn''t hold a candle to thetter.

    "What should we do," Seta looked towards Boggy, "retreat, Captain?"

    "No," Boggy decided after only a moment''s thought, "if we head back to the city now, we''llpletely lose track of the Six-armed Ancient Ape. It could easily reach the Giant Curtain under the cover of this sandstorm and attack the walls.

    "We stick to the original n, lead it into the trap, and aim to take care of it before the sandstorm arrives."

    As the five discussed their next course of action, the Six-armed Ancient Ape on the dune noticed them.

    It pounded its huge fists against its chest and then let out a roar before leaping down from the dune.

    The massive body slid down the ridge of the dune and charged towards them uponnding.

    With a stature over ten meters, it could cover four meters in a single stride, and while running, its two longest and strongest arms would smack the ground from time to time, both providing support and making a booming sound like war drums.

    Under Ma Lu''s control, a Two-headed Jackal Corpse Puppet bravely rushed forward.

    However, it had barely approached the Six-armed Ancient Ape when it was smashed into a pulp by a fist that fell from the sky.

    This was a true dimensionality reduction strike!

    The Two-headed Jackal Corpse Puppet, enhanced by the [Full-Body Hardening] of the Purple Blessings, had no weak points left on its body, and the number of Blue Blessings Ma Lu now handled had also exceeded 600.

    With the effect of the Mystery Strengthening Soap, a 200% enhancement in all attributes was provided for all members of the squad and the puppets.

    Even with a 30% loss of original attributes due to the puppet''s state, this Two-headed Jackal Corpse Puppet was more than twice as strong as it had been in life.

    Yet it didn''t even have the qualification to trade a blow with the Six-armed Ancient Ape and got one-shotted upon contact.

    Ma Lu suspected his micro-control wascking, so he sent out a Sickle-horned Antelope Corpse Puppet to fight. This time, he was incredibly focused, holding his breath and staring intently as he controlled the puppet to get close to the Six-armed Ancient Ape.

    As soon as the Six-armed Ancient Ape raised its arms, Ma Lu ordered the Sickle-horned Antelope to change direction.

    However, this series of fierce tiger-like actions with blistering APM resulted in the Sickle-horned Antelope being ttened just the same.

    As the fist came down, the Sickle-horned Antelope''s body exploded on impact, with blood and flesh sttering out from the point of impact and covering the nearby sand!

    What kind of monstrous strength was this?!

    Ma Lu''s pupils contracted sharply, feeling like he was facing the Kong from the movies, but this beast had four more arms. Wasn''t that a bit too much of a cheat?

    Originally, he had thought of using the Corpse Puppets toplete the task of luring the Six-armed Ancient Ape, but it now seemed not so simple.

    No wonder He Yueji was so pessimistic about their mission.

    Boggy, having attracted the attention of the Six-armed Ancient Ape, no longer lingered and immediately ordered a change of direction, heading towards where the Hunting Team was located.

    Only after Ma Lu, Seta, and the others had set off did Boggy twist the throttle, intentionallygging behind a bit.

    Ma Lu continued to manipte the Corpse Puppets to act as fleshy obstacles.

    However, the Six-armed Ancient Ape didn''t give him any face at all; it didn''t slow its pace, pping away the advancing Corpse Puppets like swatting flies, turning them all into meat patties.

    And though its running posture was a bit awkward, its speed was not slow at all; even though Ma Lu and the others had twisted the throttle to the max, the distance between them was rapidly closing.

    However, when the six-armed ancient ape chased them to within fifty meters, Mai Mai in the back of the vehicle also raised her Destroyer as ordered by Ma Lu and began to fire.

    The oversized bullets could easily break the leg of a grey-spotted cheetah, yet when they hit the body of the six-armed ancient ape, it was as if they were merely tickling it.

    Fortunately, Ma Lu hadn''t actually counted on the little damage the Destroyer inflicted.

    With the fifth bullet Mai Mai fired, the six-armed ancient ape''s form finally stumbled.

    [Difficult Steps: When a team member''s attack hits, there is a 15% chance to inflict a slowing debuff on the target, which reduces the target''s movement speed by 50% for 10 seconds]

    What Ma Lu had been waiting for was for this blessing to take effect. [Difficult Steps], although only a blue blessing, came with a very useful slowing effect.

    And under the effect of the 0.5x speed yer, the original 10-second slowing status was extended to 20 seconds.

    Seizing this opportunity, the five members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group once again increased the distance from the six-armed ancient ape chasing them.

    However, Ma Lu couldn''t rejoice for long as around the 12-second mark, the six-armed ancient ape had regained its speed.

    As expected, powerful beasts all have hidden resistance attributes; typical debuffs are less effective in duration on them.

    Ma Lu had encountered such situations before, but this time it was particrly severe, reducing the effect to a mere 60%.

    Fortunately, Mai Mai had already reloaded her magazine and continued to fire.

    Meanwhile, Ma Lu alsomanded the army of corpses to move and rendezvous with them.

    And it wasn''t just the six-armed ancient ape chasing them, the yellow earthen wall was also getting closer.

    The Twin Sunflower Hunting Group was literally in a race against time!

    In just three minutes, Mai Mai had emptied six magazines, causing the motor to overheat, so Ma Lu handed her his own Destroyer.

    He also picked up a golden blessing in passing.

    [Portable Charger: There is a 50% chance of zero consumption when team members use psychic powers.]

    This golden blessing was also an old acquaintance of Ma Lu''s, capable of helping the squad improve their endurance. However, that was not the main point; the main point was that it also meant that the other side''s army of corpses had finally taken down some troublesome being.

    Looking at the row of golden options before, one could tell how strong that creature had been, though it was unclear how it wouldpare to the six-armed ancient ape.

    Mai Mai emptied another magazine, causing the six-armed ancient ape that was almost upon them to slow down again.

    But when she looked down, she saw that she had only thest magazine left, and it wasn''t even full, holding only three bullets.

    The good news was that they were now very close to the traps that He Yueji and the others had set.

    However, when the six-armed ancient ape shook off the slowness once more, it had barely run two steps before its body uncontrobly slowed down again, repeatedly mocked in this manner, causing its fury to reach a peak.

    Its eyes had turnedpletely red, and its six arms had thickened, a sign that it was ready to unleash a powerful attack.

    This also caused the five members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group to feel an ominous sense within their hearts.

    Sure enough, as soon as the slowing effect wore off, the ancient ape''s speed unexpectedly increased from before, and in the blink of an eye, it was back on their trail.

    Mai Mai fired thest bullet, but unfortunately, it only triggered a bleeding effect, which seemed to be immune to the six-armed ape.

    "Keep moving, don''t look back!"

    Boggy spoke out, and after saying this, she suddenly turned around herself.

 Chapter 105 The Hunt

    Boggy''s sudden U-turn took everyone by surprise, and by the time the other four reacted, she had already resolutely charged toward the six-armed ancient ape on her motorbike!

    Ma Lu was startled, having recently tested how terrifying the six-armed ancient ape was using a corpse puppet, and knowing that the beast was likely still in a frenzied state, making its strength and speed even more horrifying.

    But it was toote to try to stop Boggy now; she had already entered the attack range of the six-armed ancient ape.

    Boggy had intended to use the motorbike to ram and block the fierce beast in front of her, but the six-armed ancient ape didn''t give her the chance. With a single punch, the motorbike was reduced to a pile of parts.

    However, aside from the parts, there were no signs of blood or flesh.

    Just in the nick of time, Boggy had leaped off the motorbike, narrowly escaping disaster. Her speed and reflexes had already increased by more than 300%.

    This allowed her to sessfully escape at the very moment danger struck.

    Yet she was still within the attack range of the six-armed ancient ape, and this giant beast had six arms at its disposal.

    If itunched a full attack, even if Boggy''s speed were doubled, she would still find it very difficult to escape.

    Fortunately, Boggy still had a trump card. Before the ape''s second punch could fall, she had already activated the huge backpack on her back. As the motor started,

    three jets of air were ejected from the backpack, propelling Boggy into the sky. During her ascent, she changed the direction of the jets to dodge another strike before continuing to rise.

    Only when she reached a height of 30 meters, did she truly escape from danger.

    Moreover, Boggy''s risky maneuver had bought enough time for the other four members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, allowing them to sessfully rendezvous with the Hunting Team.

    He Yueji looked at Ma Lu and the others who were hurrying over, and then raised her eyes to the figure in the sky, clearly surprised.

    She hadn''t expected the members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group not only to return but also to do so without any casualties.

    This made her quite displeased, not only because Ma Lu had outsmarted her again, but also because the roles had been reversed. Although she believed she couldplete the mission, it would be difficult to do so without any deaths.

    This meant that she had been outdone by the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group once again. However, while He Yueji was petty, she didn''t forget what was important.

    She too saw the sandstorm sweeping in from the distance, aware that they didn''t have much time left.

    She pointed to an open space nearby and shouted up to Boggy in the sky, "Lead the six-armed ancient ape over there!"

    On hearing themand, Boggy slightly lowered her flying altitude and once again drew the attention of the six-armed ancient ape, leading it toward the spot where the trap had been set.

    The six-armed ancient ape, chasing the prey in the sky, waspletely unaware that it had been tricked by cunning humans, or perhaps it was so confident in its own strength that it didn''t care about any schemes or plots.

    But when it arrived at that area, the chains that had been buried in the sand suddenly came to life like venomous snakes, coiling around the ankles of the six-armed giant ape.

    The six-armed giant ape roared in anger, trying to reach out and break the thick chains, but the next moment, even more chains flew out from the sand, wrapping around its six arms.

    A high voltage electric current then followed, coursing through the chains. The body of the six-armed ancient ape shook like a sieve, and a burnt smell emerged from beneath its thick fur.

    "As expected of a Diamond Level Hunting Group," Mai Mai praised, "such impable teamwork."

    But before she had finished speaking, the six-armed ancient ape raised its head and let out a furious roar. Though still shaking, it had reached out, grabbed a chain, and began tearing at it.

    The iron links, as thick as three fingers, were forcefully snapped by its brute strength.

    And once that arm was free, it continued to tear at the other chains. Soon, the second and third chains also snapped.

    But by that time, other hunters had already rushed up, unleashing their psychic powers and attacking the six-armed ancient ape.

    Ma Lu saw a young hunter charging at the forefront with two mechanical curved des and hastily warned him, "Be careful!"

    But before Ma Lu could finish speaking, the fist of the six-armed ancient ape had already fallen, and a mist of blood exploded.

    Ma Lu unconsciously took half a step back.

    And it wasn''t just that young hunter¡ªmany closebat hunters met the same fate. The six-armed ancient ape kept swinging its arms, smashing any hunter who came close, like someone ying whack-a-mole!

    The scene was too gory, causing the remaining people to halt in their tracks.

    What was worse, less than half of the chains remained on the six-armed ancient ape.

    As the situation seemed to spiral out of control, He Yueji, as themander, could no longer sit idly by and finally decided to take action.

    But this time, she didn''t use the Flying Sickle at her waist. Instead, she walked step by step towards the six-armed ancient ape while rapidly chanting a spell.

    In her eyes emerged a strange green glow.

    Ma Lu''s gaze was involuntarily drawn to the radiance, and his body stiffened in response. Fortunately, at the critical moment, Mai Mai noticed his abnormality and reached out to block him.

    "Don''t look into her eyes!"

    "Huh?"

    "He Yueji''s psychic power is Petrifying Gaze; it''s a very powerful and rare Beast-Series Psychic Ability," exined Mai Mai. "It can petrify any living creature that locks eyes with her."

    By then, Ma Lu had recovered to normal, realizing that as long as he didn''t look directly into He Yueji''s eyes continuously, he wouldn''t be affected by her power.

    But there was no denying it was an extremely powerful ability.

    At that moment, He Yueji had already stepped into the Six-armed Ancient Ape''s attack range. However, she didn''t meet the same fate as the other hunters who had been reduced to a pile of flesh and blood before.

    It wasn''t due to a sudden act of mercy from the Six-armed Ancient Ape that spared her; actually, its fist was already suspended above He Yueji''s head but just couldn''t seem tond.

    It wasn''t just that fist. All of its other five arms, including its two legs and its huge body, seemed to be held in ce by some invisible force, preventing it from even doing something as simple as blinking.

    The other hunters, seeing this, were overjoyed and rushed forward once more.

    Various attacks rained down on the Six-armed Ancient Ape like a storm, and under the powerful psychic ability of He Yueji, it had be essentially a live target.

    Even with the beast''s incredibly resilient physique, taking so many hits in rapid session had injured it severely.

    And its bleeding further stimted the surrounding hunters, making them all the more excited. However, as a bystander, Ma Lu noticed the ball of the Six-armed Giant Ape''s eye seemed to move slightly.

    At the same time, He Yueji''s body wobbled, but she quickly steadied herself and even took a half step forward.

    Mai Mai also noticed something and, lowering his voice, said, "This is bad. He Yueji can''t hold on much longer."

    But He Yueji''s resilience exceeded both their expectations. Despite her pettiness, her willpower was extraordinarily strong.

    She was not only ruthless to others but just as ruthless to herself.

    Even though blood had already started seeping from her eyes and nostrils, she stood firm, not retreating a single step.

    However, a person''s psychic power ultimately has its limits.

    Even the strongest will couldn''t change that fact. Thus, although the Six-armed Ancient Ape was badly wounded, its arms broken and one leg cut to the bone, it gradually regained its mobility.

    The fist hanging over He Yueji''s head also began to fall slowly, intent on crushing the most despised enemy before it.

    Yet even at this stage, He Yueji had no intention of retreating.

    Aside from being blinded by rage, she also saw an approaching sandstorm, almost on top of them.

    She must, as quickly as possible, take down the giant beast before her!

    He Yueji made a quick judgment in her mind, yet she overestimated her endurance.

    The fact that she had held on until now was already a miracle, nearly exhausting thest bit of psychic power left in her body, but she ultimately couldn''t maintain her power''s effect any longer.

    However, in the nick of time, just before the descending fist could crush her, anky hunter with a tattoo-covered face lunged forward and saved her life.

    The other hunters weren''t so lucky, though. The Six-armed Ancient Ape, with eyes blood-red and deep bone-exposing wounds all over its body, was thoroughly enraged.

    Despite being severely injured, it showed no intention of fleeing, instead starting to wreak havoc!

    Swinging its remaining arms, it hammered wildly!

    Seeing the turn of events, Mai Mai joined the battle, using the batteries on four motorcycles to create an electric field.

    Even though the Six-armed Ancient Ape shuddered under the electricity, as soon as the electric field''s duration ended, it regained its mobility once again.

    This beast''s vitality was unbelievably tenacious.

    After suffering through so many rounds of attacks, it still wasn''t dead, but the severe injuries did slow its movements a bit.

    As Ma Lu saw Boggy and Seta charge forward again, the sandstorm arrived before he could clearly see the ensuing battle.

    The sweeping winds carrying endless sands instantly engulfed everyone, including the terrifying ancient ape.

    The sandstorm continued forward, also engulfing the approaching horde of Corpse Puppets.

 Chapter 106 Fishing

    Ma Lu split his army of corpse puppets into two right before the sandstorm hit, half to attack the six-armed ancient ape, the other half targeted Sanrew.

    Perhaps coincidentally, Sanrew also turned his head to look in his direction.

    But soon Ma Lu''s visibility was obscured by the swirling sand!

    The first things to disappear were the suns overhead, followed by all people and objects around, with visibility plummeting to less than two meters.

    Finally, even the sounds vanished, and only the howl of the fierce wind remained in his ears!

    The world seemed as if it suddenly had a filter applied, turning a murky yellow.

    Under the onught of the hurricane-force winds exceeding 90 kilometers per hour, Ma Lu found himself involuntarily stepping back, feeling as if he was about to be swept off his feet.

    However, with his current strength, he quickly regained stability, but the lighter hunters fared far worse, especially those who hadn''t prepared in time.

    Ma Lu watched a female hunter roll past him.

    It seemed to be the same petite hunter from Cyren''s team, He Yueji, who wanted to rush to the rescue when He Yueji was attacked. She hadn''t reached the spot when the sandstorm hit, and after falling, she wasn''t able to stand up and was blown away by the wind, rolling all over the ce.

    Who knows if she might just roll all the way back to the Giant Curtain.

    Apart from the strong wind, the sand and tiny rocks carried with it were also deadly, hitting the body like bullets from an airgun, and if the mouth and nose were not protected in advance, they would be clogged with dust in no time, leading to suffocation.

    That''s when the Viin Mask showed its usefulness, with its built-in filter providing far better dust protection than a scarf, and the mask also shielded the face.

    Ma Lu then used the radiomunication feature attached to keep in touch with the other four members of his hunting group.

    Boggy and Seta were still fighting the six-armed ancient ape at that moment.

    They were among the few hunters in the hunting team who maintained theirbat capabilities in the sandstorm.

    Relying on their heightened reflexes, blessed by enchantments, they could dodge before the ape''s fists couldnd.

    The sandstorm was also affecting the six-armed ancient ape, making it hard for it to promptly detect the position of its enemies, plus the serious injuries it sustained also greatly hindered its movements.

    Ma Lu also got in touch with Sadie and Mai Mai, intending to regroup with them first.

    Mai Mai was lucky, although she had released an electric field, she triggered the [Power Bank] effect and did not consume telekinesis, so she was still lively and not at all enervated.

    However, before they could agree on a meetup location, a cry of rm came from Mai Mai''s end, and then themunication was cut off.

    Ma Lu tried contacting Sadie next, but all that responded to him was the noise of electrical currents.

    ¡ªSomeone was jamming the radio signals in this area!

    It seems that there were others intent on nefarious deeds besides him.

    Quick to react, Ma Lu immediately separated a small part of the red light from behind him to serve as a guard and move towards his location.

    Meanwhile, he remained vignt to the movements around him.

    It didn''t take long before a mechanical war axe flew out of the sandstorm from the side, heading straight for Ma Lu''s head!

    Yet, just before it was about to hit its target, it was caught by a hand.

    ?!

    The assant clearly hadn''t expected that his seemingly certain strike would be so effortlessly neutralized.

    And before he couldunch another attack, four two-headed hyenas leaped out from the sandstorm, knocking him to the ground.

    The attacker''s eyes widened, aside from wondering why these four two-headed hyenas had appeared, what mattered most was that they had charged from Ma Lu''s direction.

    Logically, they should have first attacked Ma Lu, who was standing there, yet they ran past him as if they had suddenly gone blind, choosing to target him instead, who was farther away!

    Why? The attacker couldn''t understand, and he wouldn''t be able to think any longer, because a Two-Headed Hyena had already bitten through his throat!

    Ma Lu then took the mechanical axe in his hand for a closer inspection.

    He remembered there was someone in the ck Horn who used an axe inbat, indeed Sanrew, though he always talked about the Giant Curtain, didn''t forget his personal vendetta.

    The guy must have found something during his investigations, so he also wanted to take advantage of this sandstorm to wipe them out.

    However, Ma Lu now had piles of blessings on him, with just his basic Attributes being four times what they were originally.

    This increase might not be enough to deal with the Six-armed Ancient Ape, but it was more than sufficient to take care of the other Hunters.

    Moreover, his Corpse Puppet army had already arrived on the battlefield.

    This straightened Ma Lu''s back in an instant.

    If it weren''t for the presence of many other Hunting Groups'' Hunters, Ma Lu would''ve just started auto-attacking to st every living thing in the area, excluding the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group!

    Now, he could only strive to search for Sanrew and the rest of the ck Horn in the sandstorm.

    Fortunately, he didn''t have to wait too long before someone else took the initiative toe to him.

    That person''s Psychic Power was Metal Armor, which could liquefy nearby metal and then drape it over one''s body to form armor.

    To be fair, this ability was quite strong, and his Metal Armor could even be used as a cage to imprison opponents.

    Ma Lu hadn''t been careful during their first encounter, and when he punched the man''s Metal Armor, he sent him flying but also got his left hand encased in metal, receiving a free iron fist essory.

    But that ck Horn Hunter had also exposed himself and was promptly surrounded by the Corpse Puppets.

    His metal shell''s defensive power was indeed very impressive; itsted 23 seconds before he was killed.

    Ma Lu didn''t know how the people from ck Horn were able to find him in the sandstorm, but this gave him an idea. He decided to slightly distance the Corpse Puppets around him and started flesh-and-bone fishing.

    Believe it or not, this method was rather effective.

    As long as they had a chance, the ck Horn''s people truly dared to charge in. Using this method, Ma Lu killed three more of ck Horn''s Hunters, but unfortunately, they were all small fries, and the biggest fish had yet to show its face.

    And in the two minutes that followed, no one else attacked him.

    Just as Ma Lu was considering whether or not to change locations, another figure appeared in the sandstorm ahead of him.

    Ma Lu squinted his eyes, and when the figure approached two steps closer, the sandy wind revealed Sanrew''s ordinary square face.

    But this time, his face wasn''t expressionless. He rarely showed anger and said in a heavy voice,

    "Yourpanions have all been killed by me, now it''s your turn."

    Ma Lu chuckled, "Give it up, your guys couldn''t even beat me, and you think you can kill the others?"

    Ma Lu wasn''t being modest; he indeed was the least capable fighter in the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group.

    Seeing that he couldn''t shake his opponent''sposure, Sanrew didn''t waste any more words and charged in.

    His speed was much faster than the other Hunters before him, and his moves were clean and practiced, each one honed through countless repetitions.

    Unfortunately, in the face of an absolute gap in Attributes, all skill andbat experience were useless. Ma Lu stepped back just a half step to dodge Sanrew''s fist.

    Then, powering up his back leg, he thrust the Chef''s Knife in his hand into Sanrew''s chest.

    He did it? It was that easy?

    However, before Ma Lu could rejoice, in the next moment, Sanrew''s body turned into a pile of yellow sand, blown away by the violent wind.

 Chapter 107 Im Going to Go Big

    Sanrew''s body reformed behind Ma Lu and thenunched another attack.

    Because they were too close, Ma Lu was also caught off guard and got punched in the back.

    He stumbled forward a couple of steps but, fortunately, his base attributes were high enough that taking a punch wasn''t a big problem.

    By the time he turned around and shed with his Chef''s Knife, splitting Sanrew''s body in two, thetter turned into yellow sand again.

    ¡ª¡ª The sand body ability.

    That was Sanrew''s Psychic Power, which was the pr opposite of Boggy''s Water Shield, and in a desert environment, it was nearly unbeatable magic.

    And even when Ma Lu''s Corpse Puppet guards arrived, Sanrew still managed with ease, dispersing into the wind as a sandy figure whenever he was about to be surrounded and killed by the beasts.

    As the number of enemies grew, he exhibited the second phase of his ability.

    Hepletely abandoned his flesh body and maintained the sandy form.

    In this form, he could move freely through the gales, and his strength also increased further.

    Most importantly, he no longer needed to defend, allowing the Corpse Puppets to tear and gnaw at his sandy form, focusing solely on attacking Ma Lu relentlessly.

    With Sanrew''s insight andbat experience, it was clear that these injured but powerful animals were being controlled by someone.

    And that someone was likely the man before him.

    Sanrew didn''t know how Ma Lu did it; the information he had gathered suggested that Ma Lu specialized in a type of electric ability simr to Mai Mai''s, albeit stronger and with a longer duration.

    But this was not the time to worry about such things¡ªSanrew knew that today only one of them would walk away alive from this sandstorm.

    Ma Lu was getting annoyed at this point; he had built up his blessings to the max and had raised an army of Corpse Puppets. He had the absolute advantage in both attributes and numbers, yet despite all his preparation, he couldn''t deal any damage.

    And Sanrew''s sand body didn''t even suffer from debuffs, which was somewhat overpowered.

    At that moment, someone else approached.

    Ma Lu first thought it might be Mai Mai or Sadie, but as the person drew closer, it turned out to be Dormon, the Hunter with a face full of tattoos from the Cyren Hunting Group, carrying He Yueji on his back, who was exhausted from using her Petrifying Gaze.

    It looked like they were avoiding a sudden beast horde and had identally entered into another battle.

    He Yueji was confused by the sight of Sanrew transformed into a sand person and Ma Lu fighting back and forth with him.

    Dormon, carrying her, frowned and said, "What''s the matter with you guys? Why aren''t you helping fight that Six-armed Ancient Ape?!"

    "The folks from ck Horn have gone mad; they''re taking advantage of the sandstorm to attack us!"

    Ma Lu was the first toin.

    He Yueji was even more baffled upon hearing this, "What kind of feud did you guys have before¡­"

    Before she could finish her sentence, Sanrew, the sand person, dispersed in the wind again.

    And when he reformed, it was right by Dormon''s side.

    Without a second word, he punched Dormon in the head¡ªDormon hadn''t expected Sanrew to attack him and was totally unprepared for the blow.

    He was sent flying, and He Yueji also fell to the ground as a result.

    Then Sanrew took a small knife from Dormon''s waist and without hesitation, stabbed it into thetter''s neck.

    ???

    This move also surprised Ma Lu; it wasn''t until Dormon was dead that he realized why Sanrew had attacked. Dormon''s ability to gather sand was likely a perfect counter to Sanrew.

    Sanrew must have been worried that Dormon would side with Ma Lu, so he decided to eliminate him first.

    The leader of ck Horn was indeed ruthless, daring to make an enemy even of the Diamond Hunting Group.

    Of course, Sanrew''s n was probably to kill everyone present so that he couldter push everything onto the Six-armed Ancient Ape.

    After killing Dormon, Sanrew was already charging at He Yueji, who, seeing Dormon dead, became enraged and eximed.

    "Sanrew, you''re looking for death! I''m going to kill you, you damn mongrel!!!"

    She cursed as she tried to get up from the ground, but the previous use of telekinesis had taken too much out of her, and now in the midst of a sandstorm, she couldn''t even manage the simple act of standing.

    Sanrew aimed at He Yueji''s chest and threw a small knife, but the next moment a grey-spotted cheetah leaped forward, taking the hit for He Yueji.

    Ma Lu then arrived in the fray, swinging his chef''s knife and chopping at Sanrew until he once again took on his sandy form.

    The two continued to entangle inbat, their movements were swift, and He Yueji, craning her neck, could barely make out two figures flickering in and out of sight amidst the yellow sand.

    Ma Lu beheaded Sanrew several times, but thetter quickly reformed a new body each time.

    He Yueji had heard before that Sanrew was strong, but she did not expect him to be this strong.

    In her eyes, ck Horn was just a part of the Golden Hunting Group, and since Sanrew usually kept a low profile without any notably famous achievements, she hadn''t paid him much attention.

    It wasn''t until today, witnessing Sanrew''s true strength, that He Yueji had to admit she had underestimated him.

    Considering one-on-one battles, including her brother, there probably wasn''t a hunter in the Giant Curtain who could guarantee a win over Sanrew.

    Of course, what surprised her even more was another person.

    Ma Lu, a neer who had only recently emerged in the Giant Curtain, could actually go toe-to-toe with Sanrew in realbat, even pressing Sanrew in the fight.

    He Yueji felt her brain was running out of capacity to process this.

    Damn it, how... how can this bastard be so strong too?! Could it be that he was holding back earlier in the guild hall?

    Thinking this, He Yueji''s breathing quickened, and her cheeks flushed with a hint of red.

    The person who was once somewhat unpleasant in appearance suddenly took on a clear and handsome presence in her eyes. Stay connected via mvl

    There was no helping it; she was different from most women. She had no interest in a man''s appearance, talent, or wealth¡ªbut this, she couldn''t resist.

    However, Ma Lu had no time to pay attention to the aroused He Yueji. Saving her had only been a matter of convenience; despite her pettiness, she did act with a certain integrity.

    Previously, against the six-armed ancient ape, she had not held back at all, straining for so long that she almost burned herself out.

    In contrast, both Ma Lu and Sanrew had chosen to hold back their strength secretly.

    Against the giant beast, they were obsequiously submissive, but against their own people, they delivered heavy blows!

    Previously ying dead without a peep, now they were in a fierce battle as if a thunderbolt had struck the ground, the fight as earth-shattering as andslide!

    He Yueji quickly realized this too, her teeth itching with irritation, but now that she was useless, she couldn''t do anything about them.

    After two more exchanges, Ma Lu delivered a punch that exploded Sanrew''s head, then suddenly retreated a few steps, creating a distance, and spoke,

    "You''re finished, I''m going to use my ultimate move."

    Sanrew chuckled, "Who are you trying to scare."

    After fighting for so long, Ma Lu had understood the depth of Sanrew''s strength, and simrly, Sanrew was clear about Ma Lu''s tricks.

    Given the current situation, neither could do much about the other; it was just a matter of whether Ma Lu''s stamina or Sanrew''s telekinesis would run out first.

    However,pared to Ma Lu, Sanrew still had a backup n; if his telekinesis was about to fail, he could escape early.

    So, from the start, he was in an invincible position.

    To save his psychic power, Sanrew even briefly returned to his flesh form while talking, knowing that he could revert to sand in an instant at any sign of danger.

    But the next moment, he saw a strange green light emerge in Ma Lu''s eyes.

    Then, Sanrew''s sneer froze on his face, along with his body.

    "Fuck!" He Yueji couldn''t help but swear out loud.

    "Isn''t that my Petrifying Gaze?"

    Before she had finished speaking, a horn as thick as a forearm stabbed violently into Sanrew''s back, piercing through his body and protruding from his chest.

    Sanrew''s eyes were filled with disbelief.

    "Turn into sand,e on, you like turning into sand, right? Show me again," Ma Lu said, looking straight into his eyes with a cold smile.

 Chapter 108 The Battle of the Behemoths

    Petrifying Gaze was undoubtedly a very powerful psychic power.

    But dealing with it was actually not difficult¡ªjust don''t keep staring at it.

    Therefore, this move was moremonly used during hunting, and if Sanrew was facing He Yueji now, he would definitely guard against this move of hers.

    But the problem was that the move was now deployed by Ma Lu.

    Ma Lu had already demonstrated the enhanced Electric Field and the ability to control beasts, so Sanrew never anticipated that he could also unleash a third psychic power.

    As a result, Sanrew was rooted to the spot and met a tragic end with a stab through the heart.

    Moreover, under the effect of the 0.5x speed yer, Ma Lu''s Petrifying Gaze couldst for a full minute.

    By the time it ended, Sanrew had already cooled off.

    Ma Lu even went over to check Sanrew''s corpse again to make sure he was dead as doornails before he was satisfied and withdrew his hand.

    Starting with the ambushid by ck Horn''s squad on the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, leading to the consecutive takedowns of ck Horn''s two captains¡ªone deputy and one lead¡ªthe nearly month-long conflict finally drew to a satisfactory close today.

    The only disappointment was that Sanrew, being the big boss, was so stingy that not even a pair of underpants dropped.

    And these underpants were literally just underpants.

    After Sanrew turned to dust, his clothes, shoes, and various odds and ends he carried automatically fell off. This wouldn''t have mattered normally.

    You could just pick them up after the fight, but everyone was currently in a sandstorm, and Sanrew''s clothes were whisked away by the fierce winds as soon as they fell off.

    Engaged in the fight, Ma Lu couldn''t afford to pick them up and could only watch them blow away.

    It was a pity, but there was nothing he could do. Even if he chased after them now, he definitely wouldn''t catch up.

    Plus, he had more important things to do at the moment.

    Ma Lu nned to go help Boggy deal with that Six-armed Ancient Ape. With the 0.5x speed yer, the lifespan of the Corpse Puppet was extended from the previous 7 minutes to 14 minutes.

    Although the battle between Ma Lu and Sanrew was tumultuous, it didn''tst long¡ªless than 6 minutes in total.

    So, he still had plenty of time to take down that Six-armed Ancient Ape.

    Continue your adventure at mvl

    That was a 7-star ingredient, and it was also Ma Lu''s first encounter with such a high-level item.

    But after taking a couple of steps, he stopped, turned back to where He Yuejiy, and picked her up from the ground.

    This woman currently had no ability to act or defend herself. Leaving her here alone would be a bit dangerous; she could encounter wild beasts or people with ill intentions.

    As the old saying goes, if you save someone, save them all the way; if you send Buddha, send him to the west. Ma Lu decided to carry her a bit further on the road.

    As soon as he picked her up, he saw He Yueji''s cheeks, which were rosy and burning, and her eyes, so fiery they seemed to be slightly melting.

    "What''s the matter with you?" Ma Lu was startled. "Were you bitten by a snake?"

    He vaguely remembered Boggy mentioning that the venom of the Red-bellied Rattlesnake raised body temperature and if the venom wasn''t neutralized in time, all the muscles in the body could end up dissolving.

    "Yes, can you help me suck it out, please?" He Yueji said coyly, her gaze bold.

    "Where?"

    He Yueji thrust her chest forward.

    "I think you''re seriously ill." Ma Lu let go, throwing her back to the ground.

    He Yueji hit the ground hard, still face down. This time, she didn''t curse at anyone. Maintaining her butt-up position, she continued delicately, "If that''s what you like, I don''t mind~"

    However, she was cut off before she could finish, as intense vibrations from underground interrupted her.

    He Yueji''splexion shifted slightly, "Not good, looks like another big one ising!"

    "Don''t worry, it''s just my ride arriving."

    No sooner had Ma Lu finished speaking than He Yueji felt an even stronger trembling beneath her, and then the ground began to rise steadily.

    Sand cascaded down, revealing a massive beetle over 15 meters long, with a golden body underneath.

    He Yueji''s pupils shook violently, she eximed in disbelief, "An Iron-Eating Scarab? Howe there''s another one here?!"

    "Don''t know, found it on my way here." Ma Lu reported truthfully, then paused before adding, "Hold tight, I''m in a rush, we''re about to sprint."

    But that was pretty much lost on He Yueji, who was truly drained by now, plus the back of the Iron-Eating Scarab was too slippery.

    The moment it started running, He Yueji would uncontrobly slide off, but fortunately, Ma Lu was quick to catch her with one hand.

    With his other hand, he grabbed onto the raised ridge in the middle of the Iron-Eating Scarab''s back.

    The Iron-Eating Scarab''s three pairs of long legs moved rapidly across the sandy terrain, quickly reaching the area where the Hunting Team had previously battled the Six-armed Ancient Ape.

    However, the Six-armed Ancient Ape was no longer there. Luckily, it hadn''t gone far. Ma Lu noticed the red light diminishing quickly in the southeast direction and urged the Iron-Eating Scarab beneath him in that direction.

    Indeed, he spotted the silhouette of the Six-armed Ancient Ape again, now even more wounded, with only two arms functioning.

    And its movements had slowed to less than half of its original speed. But one must say that a seven-star is seven-star, with a ridiculously long health bar.

    Even in such a dire state, it was still able to stand, but it was essentially running on itsst leg.

    Truth be told, Ma Lu didn''t even need to take action; it probably wouldn''t havested much longer on its own.

    But still, Ma Lu got off the back of the Iron-Eating Scarab with He Yueji in tow and directed the giant beetle to charge forward.

    Because no man can resist the thrill of giants battling it out.

    He had not been fully satisfied by the movie of Godzi fighting Kong, so now Ma Lu created his own sequel on the spot.

    With the Six-armed Ancient Ape injured and down to two arms, it naturally yed the part of Kong. The Iron-Eating Scarab didn''t quite match Godzi in appearance, but considering there were no other actors around, the decision was made to let it take the role.

    As soon as the two behemoths met, they started fighting without a word, the Six-armed Ancient Ape swinging its fists in a fury against the Iron-Eating Scarab.

    However, its previously infallible tactic met its match this time. It struggled against the hard shell of the Iron-Eating Scarab, which, after withstanding the initial assault, boldly began to counterattack.

    It reared up, grabbing the Six-armed Ancient Ape with its front legs, pulling it close and biting towards its shoulder with its maw...

    The battle was intense and exhrating. The Iron-Eating Scarab was not as strong as the Six-armed Ancient Ape, but turned into a Corpse Puppet and blessed with trinkets, plus the Six-armed Ancient Ape''s severe injuries, the Iron-Eating Scarab ultimately won the final victory.

    However, not long after its triumph, the time limit for the Corpse Puppet expired.

    And so, the Iron-Eating Scarab copsed to the ground with the Six-armed Ancient Ape in its embrace, creating a thunderous crash.

    They were worthy opponents, and it was a magnificent fight; the only regret was that it was too brief.

    Ma Lu withdrew his somewhat wistful gaze and looked around, finding only three other hunters from the various hunting groups aside from the four from the Twin Sunflower group. As for the others, he didn''t know whether they had perished or been scattered by the sandstorm.

 Chapter 109 Assessment

    Ma Lu was still reveling in the memory of the thrilling behemoth battle as he settled back onto the living room sofa.

    The valiant figures of the Iron-Eating Scarab and Six-armed Ancient Ape lingered in his mind. Experience more tales on mvl

    Of course, he hadn''t forgotten the matter at hand and took out the ingredients they had collected from the Collection Bag.

    Among them was a special ingredient, which, after repeated discussions with Old Wang, was specially customized for the hardware store owner.

    Having obtained this special ingredient, and to ensure its freshness, Old Wang didn''t waste any time; he had already prepped the other ingredients and packed everything together, rushing to the front of Jin Xin Plumbing and Hardware Department Store with Ma Lu at their earliest convenience.

    The three High-Dimensional Artifacts in Yan Wu''s hands were crucial for the Universe Infinite Canteen to sessfully open, and Ma Lu was determined to get them as soon as possible, the sooner the better, so he could move on to the next phase of work.

    It had to be said that the Werewolf Boss was quite dedicated, opening his shop promptly at 10 a.m. every day and working until 8 p.m.

    Sometimes he even took on instation jobs on-site, looking no different from the other small business owners on the street.

    When Ma Lu and Old Wang arrived, Yan Wu was in the shop as well.

    "I''m borrowing your kitchen," Ma Lu called out as soon as he entered.

    Yan Wu raised his eyebrows, "Oh, it looks like you guys are quite confident this time, but I still have to remind you, what I require is a dish that can move me, not one that satisfies me. Meaning deliciousness is not the sole criterion."

    "Stop the chatter, I already know how to move you," Ma Lu said with confidence.

    "Tsk tsk, then I''ll be looking forward to it," said Yan Wu as he tossed a set of keys to them.

    The Jin Xin Plumbing and Hardware Department Store was just Yan Wu''s storefront; he also had a house nearby, about a five-minute walk away, and it was a quadrangle dwelling.

    He imed it was passed down from his ancestors, but in reality, it was all just him transferring from one identity to another.

    Ma Lu had been there once before when making the meheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew, and the ce was kept quite clean, with a date tree nted in the middle of the courtyard.

    This time, Old Wang went over to cook by himself, while Ma Lu stayed in the shop.

    Yan Wu fiddled with a U-lock and said offhandedly, "When do you n to start work on your shop?"

    "The construction crew will be on site the day after tomorrow. The workload isn''t too big, so it should be done in about two weeks," Ma Lu replied.

    "That''s pretty fast," Yan Wu nodded, "I''lle to support your opening, but are you sure you can make a dish that will move me in two weeks?"

    "We don''t even need two weeks; I n to take you down today."

    "Confidence is good, but have you forgotten yourst failure?" Yan Wu grinned. "I''m not trying to make life difficult for you, but this realm really is in need of a Cosmic Chef.

    "Like the way of hardware, the path of the culinary arts is also thorny. Without enough strength, even if your restaurant opens, it might not be a good thing. You could encounter other troubles down the line."

    "Troubles? What troubles?" Ma Lu felt there was more to what the werewolf was saying.

    But Yan Wu changed the subject instead of expanding on it, starting to make small talk with Ma Lu.

    The Werewolf Boss styled himself as engrossed in hardware, but in reality, he wasn''t the kind to turn a blind eye to outside matters and dive into his hobbies; nor did he have the air of a reclusive master.

    Like an average middle-aged man, he was enthusiastic about sports and current affairs, spouting opinions far and wide, from tutoring outside school to the Isreali-Palestinian conflict, and not forgetting to curse Big A in the end. It seemed like he had likely been shortchanged before.

    About fifteen minutester, Old Wang brought the dish he had prepared to Yan Wu''s table.

    This time Ma Lu didn''t have Yan Wu close his eyes, but there was a stainless steel dish cover on the te, so it was impossible to see what was underneath.

    "ying the same old cat-and-mouse game, huh?"

    Yan Wu sneered, evidently, the meheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew fromst time didn''t teach them enough of a lesson.

    The hardware store owner took another sniff, and then... he felt a hundred different scents rush into his nostrils at once.

    Yan Wu couldn''t help but sneeze, "What is this...?"

    "Spices, lots of them, not just spices, there''s also perfume and other strong-smelling stuff," said Ma Lu.

    "Don''t get it wrong, it has nothing to do with the dish inside. It''s just a defensive measure to prevent you from getting the answer in advance, given your sharp nose."

    "You''re ruthless."

    Yan Wu had no choice but to give up on the idea of using his nose to discern the ingredients, but this only made him more curious about what dish Ma Lu and Old Wang had prepared to pass his test.

    "So when can I lift the lid?"

    Ma Lu passed over a pair of disposable stic gloves, "Whenever you''re ready to tuck in, you can open it any time."

    Yan Wu frowned slightly, "Oh, so there''s not even any cutlery? Eating with hands, what''s inside, roast ribs, big bones, or crayfish?"

    Ma Lu gave a mysterious smile but didn''t answer.

    As he spoke, Yan Wu also put on the gloves, reaching out eagerly, he lifted the stainless steel lid in front of him.

    But when he saw what was on the te, he first paused, then anger surged in his heart.

    The look he gave Ma Lu and Old Wang even contained a hint of murderous intent.

    "Is this the dish you''ve made to impress me?!"

    "Exactly," Ma Lu admitted rather frankly.

    "I''ll give you another chance," Yan Wu struggled to contain the killing intent in his heart, saying word by word, "Did you bring the wrong dish?"

    "No," Ma Lu replied calmly, pointing to the fierce wolf''s head on the te, "this is the dish."

    "Heh," Yan Wu scoffed coldly, "If your aim was to anger me, then I must say you''ve indeed seeded. But what after that? Have you thought about how you''re going to bear my wrath, boy?"

    "It''s not good to be angry on an empty stomach, how about you fill up first, then consider how to punish us." Ma Lu countered, "Or is it that you don''t eat wolf meat, perhaps because there''s some kind of... blood rtion between you?"

    "Don''tpare me to that beast, werewolves and wolves arepletely different creatures," said Yan Wu.

    "But presenting the head of a wolf in front of a werewolf is undoubtedly a serious offense. If it had been the younger me, you would already be dead, and..."

    Yan Wu took a deep breath, "You haven''t even cooked this dish, have you? Are you intending to feed me raw meat?"

    "Sashimi, to preserve the natural vor of the ingredient to the fullest extent," Old Wang finally spoke up.

    "This is indeed a dish, we prepared long for this dish, and although the main ingredient isn''t as expensive as the previous dish, this is the one best suited for you."

    Yan Wu frowned, "What is the name of this dish?"

    "The Call of the Wild," Ma Lu said leisurely.

 Chapter 110 The Call of the Wild

    Yan Wu''s expression flickered upon hearing the name before he finally started to seriously examine the dish before him.

    Your adventure continues at mvl

    "The call of the wild...?"

    The hardware store owner reached out and grabbed a strip of meat that was still dripping with blood, "Indeed, this method of eating dates back to before the Qin Dynasty. After the Wu State''s army conquered the Capital Ying of Chu State, King Helu of Wu hosted a raw fish feast tofort Wu Zixu.

    "Nowadays, there are simr practices in Japanese, Korean, and Italian cuisine. It''s not just fish, but beef too. However... without exception, they all bleed the meat during ughter to prevent the blood from ruining the taste, unlike how you''ve served it without any processing."

    "Actually, we did treat it," Ma Lu snapped his fingers, "but more talk is useless. You will know after you''ve tried."

    "Then I''ll trust you guys one more time."

    Yan Wu ced the blood-soaked strip of meat into his mouth. As soon as his tongue touched it, his face changed and he instinctively wanted to spit it out.

    Fortunately, he held back and began to chew. The more he ate, the more remarkable his expression became.

    After finishing one strip of meat, he didn''t say a word. Instead, he grabbed the second one and shoved it into his mouth, followed by the third...

    By the seventh, Yan Wu suddenly threw back his head, opened his mouth, and let out a high-pitched wolf howl.

    This caused a row of electric scooters by the roadside to start beeping their rms in response, and many passersby turned their heads, searching for the source of the noise.

    Ma Lu was also surprised, "That strong, huh?"

    Yan Wu howled for nearly half a minute before stopping to catch his breath, which showed he had quite a good lung capacity.

    And the first thing he said after his howl was, "Damn, it''s so spicy! So thatyer on the outside isn''t sma, it''s your special chili sauce!!!"

    "Exactly," Ma Lu said, "Sashimi needs a dip, but this time we poured the dipping sauce right over it, which is not only more convenient but also visually wilder, fitting the theme better."

    Yan Wu opened his thermos and gulped down two big mouthfuls of water before continuing.

    "Using chili as a dip is quite bold of you. Moreover, you haven''t added any other spices that could mask the gamey taste."

    "Because our dish is called ''The Call of the Wild,'' so of course we want to retain the meat''s original vor to the fullest extent. Not only that, but I specifically chose the roughest Wind-walking Prairie Wolf Meat for the sashimi."

    "Hmph, I thought you put that wolf''s head up just to provoke me?"

    "That was part of the consideration," Ma Lu''s words made the werewolf''s teeth itch anew.

    However, when he heard the following sentence, "Anger is also one of the seasonings for this dish," he looked thoughtful.

    Honestly, for ordinary people, this dish definitely wouldn''t be considered tasty.

    Its Deliciousness Index was only ¡ï, not even up to par with the Universe Infinite Canteen''s first Fried Jackal Meat Cake.

    However, Yan Wu indeed tasted something different in this dish.

    As a werewolf who had lived for over two thousand years and had traveled through countless nes, tasting innumerable delicacies, ordinary vors could hardly move him.

    The meheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew was tasty but didn''t touch him deeply enough.

    But today''s ''The Call of the Wild'' actually provoked his wolf howl.

    Whether it was the texture of the crude, substantial raw meat sashimi, Old Wang''s secret super spicy sauce, or the raging fire in his chest, all left asting impression on him.

    Of course, the most important thing was that he truly chewed his way into a sense of wildness he hadn''t felt in ages.

    Once, he''d piloted airships, wandered everywhere, and swore to taste all the delicacies of the Multiverse, see all the beautiful sights, and "beep" all the prettydies with fluffy tails.

    However, his airshipter malfunctioned, and he found himself stranded in this godforsaken, obscure dimension.

    In his efforts to repair the airship, he grew haggard and worn, and, by some twist of fate, wound up on the path of metalworking.

    It''s not to say that metalworking is bad; in fact, Yan Wu was quite happy with his current life. He had fully integrated into this universe''s dimension, adapted to the society of humans, and even acted more human than the humans themselves.

    And it was precisely because of this that he was on the verge of forgetting the dreams of his youth.

    Those rough, wild, filled with restlessness and anger, rebellious desires, just like the dish before him.

    Yan Wu closed his eyes again, savoring the lingering musky taste and feeling of heat between his lips, and eventually let out a sigh.

    "Youth is indeed wonderful!"

    "You''re not exactly old now, uh... probably."

    Ma Lu caught himself halfway through his sentence, remembering that the fellow in front of him was over two thousand years old.

    Yan Wu shook his head, "Youth isn''t about age; it''s more of a mental state. I truly don''t have that many impulsive thoughts anymore, but still, thank you all for reminding me of those carefree, joyous days piloting my airship."

    Ma Lu felt a stir in his heart, "Hmm, by saying that, do you mean..."

    "Yes," Yan Wu nodded, "you have indeed created a dish that moved me, fulfilling my request and passing my assessment."

    After finishing his words, the hardware store owner flipped the wrench on the topmost shelf, and the world flipped along with it in the next second.

    The three of them returned to the small room filled with odd high-dimensional artifacts.

    Yan Wu pointed towards a corner, "Your Phase Shifter, the Beaver, and the desktop farm are all over there... eh, why aren''t they there?"

    No sooner had the hardware store owner finished speaking than a wooden figure came over from the other corner, carrying arge box and heaving sighs as it walked.

    "Ah, over here." Yan Wu took the box from the wooden figure''s hands as it passed and stuffed it into Ma Lu''s arms.

    Seeing this, the wooden figure let out another long sigh and drooped its head, moving off to find and carry other items.

    "I''m giving you these three items, but as per our agreement, you will still have to repay the money¡ª280,000 Star Currency in total. As for the time... let''s set it at two years. You''ll have two years to pay me back, alright?"

    Ma Lu opened the wooden box to confirm the high-dimensional artifacts were all there, then nodded, "Okay."

    "Then I wish you a speedy opening of your business," Yan Wu said.

    With the key items in hand, Ma Lu felt a wave of relief. This meant the biggest obstacle to opening his store was gone. After the renovations werepleted and all the permits acquired, Universe Infinite Canteen would officially be in business.

    And he would officially im the title of Boss Ma.

    Right now, Ma Lu couldn''t wait to find a ce to test out those three high-dimensional artifacts. But for the moment, he still had to return to the West Gate of Aerospace University with Old Wang to set up their stall.

    He had quite a few expensesing up, so until the shop opened, he couldn''t afford to ignore the ie from the stall.

 Chapter 111 Fragrant Braised Worms

    The Universe Snack Stand was selling braisedrge intestines this week.

    Of course, rge intestines" is just the term used for public consumption; in actuality, it was a desert worm resembling intestines, filled with an astonishing amount of fat and a taste very simr to that of intestines.

    It''s said that their method of attacking prey is quite unique¡ªthey spew a mucus from their body cavities, which contains high concentrations of anesthetic substances. If prey happen to inhale it, they quickly fall into a drowsy state, unable to move.

    Then the desert worms crawl over their prey, tightly coiling around the target with their bodies and secreting digestive juices that slowly dissolve and digest the prey.

    All this knowledge was shared by He Yueji with Ma Lu, and she was beaming with excitement and panting heavily while imparting it, sparking some inexplicable enthusiasm. Ma Lu wasn''t sure about the credibility of this information or if she had embellished it with her own additions.

    However, it''s true that these creatures, which seem like archenemies to magical girls, are a delicacy in the Giant Curtain.

    And with the beast tide in full swing, the price wasn''t too steep¡ªMa Lu spent 2,200 Electric Degrees to buy 800 pounds.

    As for the Six-armed Ancient Ape and the Iron-Eating Scarab, the hunters decided to work together to haul them back after the sandstorm had subsided.

    But with the store''s opening imminent, Ma Lu also took precautions, no longer putting high-star ingredients on sale too early, especially those above 5 stars.

    These high-star ingredients are readily avable now only because they''re located right in the middle of the beast tide, which drives all kinds of wild creatures rushing towards the Giant Curtain.

    Ma Lu had also inquired with Boggy and Mai Mai that during normal hunting seasons, even venturing deep into the Death Forbidden Zone might not guarantee a catch every time, especially with legendary beasts like the Six-armed Ancient Ape¡ªa creature many hunters might not encounter even once in their lifetime.

    Though most people wouldn''t want to meet one, to be fair.

    However, such premium ingredients couldn''t fetch too high a price at the snack stand. If he were to bring them back and sell them for twenty or thirty a portion, Ma Lu would feel a twinge of regret.

    So he rented a refrigerated storage unit in the Giant Curtain and froze his share of the Six-armed Giant Ape meat and the Iron-Eating Scarab in there.

    This time, he chose to purchase ingredients directly from the market.

    ¡ª[Fragrant Braised Worm] Deliciousness Index: ¡ï¡ï¡î.

    After searching, Ma Lu found this outstandingly vorful dish, which also had a rtively low procurement cost.

    The price was set at 21 bucks a serving, two bucks cheaper than the previous Earth Dragon Meat Sandwich.

    However, selling braisedrge intestines outside a university entrance still required a bit of courage, as students were often concerned about their image as young idols.

    Furthermore, socially speaking, it wasn''t as easy to market as Volcano Grilled Sausages or Queen''s Crisps, because while you could invite your crush to have grilled sausages or crispy pork, braisedrge intestines¡ªeven if she really wanted to eat it¡ªmight not be something she''d befortable admitting.

    For instance, Little Snail, a regr customer and devoted fan of the snack stand, didn''t show up this time, and there were fewer people joining the WeChat group than before.

    But the number of people privately messaging Ma Lu to ce orders had skyrocketed.

    It seemed that there were still plenty of braisedrge intestine enthusiasts out there; it''s just that some of them needed to manage their appearances and could only sneak around to buy it.

    So, in actuality, business wasn''t overly affected.

    To further amodate his wide range of customers and incidentally increase his ie, Ma Lu had Old Wang bake some of the golden-threaded biscuits that were made for the previous Meat Sandwich sale.

    At 3 dors each, they could be paired with the braisedrge intestines to make a biscuit sandwich, and sales were quite good.

    Halfway through, Ma Lu had to make a call to the gas delivery guy as the gas cylinder was running low, asking for a new cylinder to be brought over.

    Ma Lu squatted down to help change the cylinder, and then felt a light tap on his shoulder.

    "Ma Lu?"

    "Hmm?" Read new adventures at mvl

    Ma Lu responded absently and turned his head to see an unexpected face.

    "It is you." The speaker was a short-haired female dressed in a khaki suit and capri pants, in full professional attire, bending over behind him.

    "Oh, it''s you. You''ve returned to the country," Ma Lu raised his eyebrows and said indifferently.

    "Yes, I came back after finishing my graduate studies," the woman spoke while reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ears.

    "That''s truly a pity."

    "Why do you say that, you don''t wish for me toe back?"

    "No, wasn''t it you who liked staying abroad? Wouldn''t it be a pity if you couldn''t settle down there?"

    Ma Lu wiped his hands and stood up from the ground.

    The woman straightened up as well, "I just wanted to go abroad to gild my resume, to make it easier to find a job when I came back."

    "Ah... so your current job must be really good then."

    "It''s okay, I guess. I work at a beauty rating website. I came out with my team leader this afternoon to take pictures, and since we were in the area, I thought I''d swing by my alma mater to take a look."

    "By the way, ourpany is currently expanding, are you interested in submitting your resume? I can refer you internally, and I think you''d have a pretty good chance."

    The woman nced at the tricycle nearby.

    "No need," Ma Lu said tly, "I already have a job."

    "Are you still angry with me?" the woman frowned, "Now''s not the time to act on a whim. This opportunity is rare, and it would be a shame to miss it... If you really hate me and don''t want to work with me, you can just transfer to another group once you''re in."

    Upon hearing this, Ma Lu snorted withughter, "Angry? Yu Yitong, you think you''re too important. In my heart, you''re now an irrelevant stranger, I can''t even remember your name."

    "You just called me by my name a moment ago," Yu Yitong reminded him.

    "Hmm, but I can''t recall which ''Tong'' is in your name, and the ''Yu'' as well, I''ve forgotten it, let me think... It should be the one with the ''single person'' radical, Yi."

    "Childish," Yu Yitong adjusted her hair once more.

    "No, I truly don''t remember, and as I told you, I already have a job. Not only a job but also a partner. Our business is thriving, and we''ve already established strong bonds. I''m not like some selfish ghosts who would abandon theirpanions for the so-called future and job."

    "What''s wrong with pursuing a career?"

    "Ha, that is such a selfish ghost question."

    "Forget it, it doesn''t matter anymore. You''re selling braised intestines; give me a serving. I''ll consider it supporting your business."

    "Not selling."

    "Why not?"

    "Because it''s my rule of doing business, not to sell to my enemies." Ma Lu crossed his arms, "Haven''t you heard that old saying? Every serving of intestines you sell will turn into a weapon for your enemies to use against you."

    "I''ve never heard that," Yu Yitong yed with her hair again, "So our rtionship now... is that of enemies?"

    "Exactly."

    "And this is how you strike at me, by not selling your braised intestines to me?" Yu Yitong said incredulously, "Do you think that will hurt me?"

    "So tell me if you''re upset now or not."

    Despite not wanting to admit it, Yu Yitong was indeed seething with annoyance at this moment.

    Particrly since Ma Lu, while talking, had deliberately scooped up a box of braised intestines and handed it to Hou Yihan, who was in line behind Yu Yitong, "Here''s yours, enjoy. If you want a tbread with that, just add 3 yuan."

    "Oh, oh, oh."

    Hou Yihan, sensing the charged atmosphere, quickly left with her braised intestines in hand, but she couldn''t resist the gossip unfolding before her eyes.

    So she didn''t go far and edged up next to Shen Yue, who was thoroughly enjoying the show, and whispered.

    "Sister Yue, what''s the deal between the boss and that pretty sister?"

    "What else could it be? They were a couple, oh, but they broke up two years ago. Now, I guess, they''re enemies," Shen Yue said while cracking sunflower seeds, "Hmm, at least in Brother Ma''s view, Sister Yu must have been categorized as an enemy."

    Hou Yihan''s gossip radar started spinning.

    Love and hatred! There wasn''t a woman who didn''t enjoy such stories, "Quick, tell me, how did they break up?"

    "I''m not clear on the specifics; Brother Ma didn''t share with anyone, but it seemed there wasn''t any third party. Probably because Sister Yu wanted to study abroad, and then she broke up with Brother Ma. He says it doesn''t matter to him, but he''s actually quite vindictive about it.

    "Guess he''s been pondering how to retaliate, tsk tsk, there''s probably more drama toe."

 Chapter 112 The First Employee

    Ma Lu finished packing the braised intestines for Hou Yihan, then filled up another bowl and brought it over to He Xiaoqian, who was dancing at the side.

    He Xiaoqian took the braised intestines with a pleasantly surprised look, and then instinctively reached for her phone, "This... how much is it?"

    "It''s on the house, a gift for you. Take your time eating, you need a full stomach to keep on dancing," Ma Lu said softly. "If it''s not enough, I''ve got more. I''ll replenish your bowl for free."

    "Are you having fun?" Yu Yitong said from the side.

    "Quite a bit, actually."

    "Fine, you win, I''m not eating it," Yu Yitong stepped back twice, "I''ll go have Squid Brother''s grilled squid. I don''t like intestines anyway."

    Ma Luughed as if he had heard something hrious. "Hahaha, you don''t like intestines? Then who was it that bought near-expiration-date chili oil intestines online, ended up with acute enteritis, and had to be rushed to the hospital emergency room by me in the middle of the night? Oh, and I was the one who delivered your urine sample to theb."

    Yu Yitong had already turned to leave, but stopped at these words, "Was I not saving money by eating near-expired food just so I could buy you a new phone for your birthday?

    "Ah, here ites again. You''re still the same, always full of lies. You were clearly saving up for studying abroad. You had been thinking about breaking up with me since then, and I didn''t notice it at all."

    "Maybe."

    "I knew it." Ma Lu snapped his fingers.

    "Anyway," Yu Yitong checked the time on her phone, then looked up, "I''m d to see you again, you haven''t changed much from before. I''ve got to go, I have a lot of work to do this afternoon, and tonight I need to apany my boyfriend to the dentist, can''t workte. If you think it over in the next couple of days and want to apply for the job at Mei Ping, you can submit your resume. I''ll talk to the team leader..."

    "No thanks, I''m quite satisfied with my current job," Ma Lu paused, then said, "You have a boyfriend now?"

    "Why, do you care?"

    "Not at all, just a bit curious about which man in this world is so unfortunate. I feel a bit sorry for him."

    "You should probably take care of yourself first."

    Yu Yitong finished talking and nced at He Xiaoqian on the side, didn''t go to buy grilled squid, and just left with long strides.

    Meanwhile, Ma Lu went back in front of the snack stand and got busy again.

    Hou Yihan tried to read his mood from his face but ultimately failed.

    She was no master of micro expressions, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t figure it out.

    Fortunately, the braised intestines in her hand were delicious.

    Hou Yihan took another bite, savoring the marvelous burst of fat on her taste buds, a sinful sense of satisfaction.

    At the same time, she felt regret for Yu Yitong, who had missed out on these tasty braised intestines, and was cruelly deprived of lifetime purchasing rights.

    This was particrly cruel for an intestine aficionado.

    By the time Ma Lu sold all 999 portions of the fragrant braised worms, it was already close to 8 p.m. He Xiaoqian had finished her livestream an hour earlier but hadn''t left,ing over to the Universe Snack Stand to help greet customers.

    She was quick with her hands and feet, whether it was weighing or packaging, she got the hang of it fast, and finally, she cleaned the countertop with a rag as well.

    Ma Lu looked at He Xiaoqian''s diligent figure, and a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

    After He Xiaoqian finished wiping thest seasoning jar, she wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and said, "Ma Ge, Uncle Wang, I''m going back too."

    "Hold on," Ma Lu stopped her and asked, "How''s your livestream going?"

    "Not bad. Today I got 2,800 ''waves'' which amounts to 140 yuan," He Xiaoqian exined. "But it''s kind of strange, most of the gifts came when I was eating braised intestines, and hardly anyone sent gifts when I was dancing."

    "This is my second-best result, actually. The best wasst week. One day I got over 4,000 ''waves,'' mostly from one guy."

    "But after he messaged me wanting to meet and I didn''t agree, he never showed up again. Well... it''s hit or miss on a regr day. On good days, I can make over a hundred yuan, and on slow days, I still get some tens."

    "After all, I only dance and don''t chat much, so there aren''t many people giving gifts. However, it''s much better now than when I first started livestreaming. Back then, I would often only make a couple of yuan in a day."

    "It was a kind sister who told me to ride the poprity wave. I found you guys on the local trending list and felt an increase in viewers aftering here. Oh, right, and Sister Feifei, her makeup tips have been really helpful. Once I save up a bit more money, I''ll treat you all to a meal to thank you."

    Ma Lu said, "You don''t need to rush about treating us to a meal. I mainly wanted to tell you that we''ll be leaving in another two or three weeks."

    "Leaving? Are you going elsewhere to set up your stall?" He Xiaoqian was taken aback. "But isn''t your business here doing very well?"

    Since she was always dancing nearby, nobody had a better idea of how many customers The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall attracted than her.

    Then something else urred to her, and she murmured, "Is it because of that sister today?"

    "Hey, it''s got nothing to do with that person," Ma Lu exined. "It''s not because business is bad, in fact, it''s the exact opposite. It''s because business is too good that I''m thinking of changing location. And this time, I won''t be setting up a stall anymore. I''ve rented a storefront, nning to run a restaurant."

    "Wow, that''s amazing. You''re going to open a restaurant so soon? From now on, Ma Ge, you and Uncle Wang will both be bosses," she eximed.

    He Xiaoqian was genuinely happy for Ma Lu and Old Wang, but on the other hand, the news came as a bit of a surprise to her.

    She had just gotten used to dancing by the snack stand, and it wasn''t as embarrassing as before. Her livestream had started to pick up, and now Ma Lu was about to leave.

    She didn''t know if the next stall owner would let her dance there. No, with Ma Lu and Old Wang gone, dancing there seemed pointless.

    He Xiaoqian wanted to ask Ma Lu where his new store would be and if she could follow them there.

    But then she thought it might not be appropriate. When Ma Lu ran a street stall and she danced alongside, the impact might not have been so big. Stay tuned to §Þ??

    Now that Ma Lu was opening a restaurant, if she continued to dance nearby, it might make the restaurant seem less ssy.

    And if she danced outside, separated by a door, He Xiaoqian wasn''t sure if she could still bask in its poprity.

    Whilst He Xiaoqian was lost in her thoughts, Ma Lu asked, "What are your ns for the future?"

    "I want to be a barista."

    "Oh, I know that. I mean, after we leave, do you n to continue being a host?"

    "I guess so," He Xiaoqian sniffed. "I don''t know how to do anything else."

    "Hmm, but I think you''re pretty good at serving food, attending to customers, and cleaning up. Would you be interested in working as a waitress in my restaurant for a while? Of course, if you still want to livestream and dance, you can continue that after work."

 Chapter 113 Feeding

    ```

    After The Universe''s Number One Canteen opened, Ma Lu and Old Wang would definitely still y their roles, one managing the front and the other the back.

    Old Wang would be cooking in the kitchen, while Ma Lu would be responsible for entertaining guests in the front hall, which is the traditional husband and wife restaurant model.

    There was no issue on Old Wang''s side, Ma Lu had asked him already, and with his cooking speed, one man was enough to handle it. He could support a medium-sized restaurant all by himself, saving the money that would otherwise be spent on hiring assistants.

    However, on Ma Lu''s side, it was highly likely that one person would not be able to manage, especially since the storefront was 90 square meters. Even subtracting the 25 square meters for the kitchen, there was still more than 60 square meters to cover.

    It was muchrger than his initial n, and in fact, had already moved beyond the category of a small, low-end eatery.

    In addition to serving dishes and customer service, Ma Lu would also have to double as a cashier and cleaner. Unless he was a Six-armed Ancient Ape with six hands, it was indeed too much for one person, particrly during peak dining hours.

    So he would still need to hire one or two waiters, and considering shift rotations, two would be best.

    There had to be at least one with a fairly fixed schedule, while the other could have a bit more flexibility.

    If really necessary, he could hire some university students as part-time workers. As everyone knows, university students are a high-quality yet inexpensivebor force.

    After Ma Lu finished asking, He Xiaoqian still did not respond.

    So Ma Lu added, "Oh right, the working hours for now are from 10:30 in the morning to 8:00 at night, five days a week, but which five days might not be fixed. If we finish selling the prepared food early, we will close sooner, and you can go home after cleaning up.

    "As for the base sry, it''s now 4000, and we will contribute to the social security and housing fund. If the restaurant''s sales are high, there will also be a bonus, but I haven''t decided on the specific standards yet. We''ll talk about itter. You can think about it, no rush, just give me an answer before next week."

    "Also..." Ma Lu pped his forehead and started to paint a picture, "You want to be a barista, right? Old Wang is a really great barista. If he has time after work, maybe he could teach you some coffee brewing techniques."

    "Really?" He Xiaoqian''s eyes widened.

    Old Wang nodded, "Beverages are also a type of cuisine, and as a chef, of course, I must master that too."

    "Wow, in that case, I want to be a waitress, and we don''t need a week, we can start right now," He Xiaoqian said excitedly.

    "Don''t rush, my restaurant hasn''t opened yet," Ma Lu said. "Just wait a little longer. But if you''re sure, we can sign the contract ahead of time one of these days."

    "No problem, Bro Ma, oh no, I should call you Boss now."

    "Hahaha."

    Being called Boss made Ma Lu feel light-hearted, dispelling much of the gloom from his encounter with Yu Yitong.

    Indeed, it was always better to spend more time with kind-hearted girls like He Xiaoqian who speak gently, think innocently, have a good temper, and can dance. It made one feel refreshed just being around them.

    Working together would also help relieve fatigue. Find exclusive stories on §Þ??

    On the contrary, just seeing Yu Yitong was aggravating. So why is there such a big difference between people?

    Having recruited the restaurant''s first employee, Ma Lu did not head straight home, but instead took another trip to the shop.

    Mainly, he went to inform Zhen Ye upstairs that the renovation team would be entering the venue the day after tomorrow and to ask if she wanted to take this opportunity to refurbish her living space as well.

    Zhen Ye was the same as always, wearing that oversized sweatshirt and pajama pants, curled up at home ying video games.

    However, after thest incident, her rtionship with Ma Lu had be much more intimate, and she did not keep him out anymore.

    As soon as Ma Lu rang the doorbell, she came down to open the door with the controller in hand.

    But this didn''t feel quite right; in thete hours of the night, a casually acquainted person of the opposite sex was so trustworthy, without any guard up at all.

    Ma Lu had justmented over He Xiaoqian''s simplicity, and then he encountered someone even more simplistic-minded. Well, at least He Xiaoqian had some social experience and a bit of self-protection awareness, knowing not to meet with the "big brothers" from her live stream sessions.

    Zhen Ye was the onecking inmon sense, as nk as a sheet of paper when it came to many things.

    This time Ma Lu didn''t enter the ce, and finished stating what he hade for outside. Yet, he noticed that Zhen Ye seemed distracted, her gaze frequently drifting to the backpack behind him.

    ```

    "What are you looking at?"

    "Do you still have... the meat pies... fromst time?"

    Zhen Ye''s eyes were full of hope, like a dirty little stray dog that had suddenly popped up in a flower bed waiting to be fed.

    "What? Oh, you''re talking about roujiamo."

    Upon hearing this, Zhen Ye nodded repeatedly.

    "They''re all gone," Ma Lu said, spreading his hands.

    Zhen Ye looked a bit disappointed.

    "You want to eat more?"

    The girl nodded once again.

    "I see... Well, there''s still a bit of the meat left in the fridge from before, I think I could make one or two more, but it''s toote now."

    Zhen Ye pulled out several sheets of paper from underneath her clothing and handed them over.

    Ma Lu took them and realized they were the rental contract.

    "Huh?"

    Zhen Ye helped flip to thest page and pointed at the use that read "Party B promises to include two meals per day for Party A."

    Ma Lu was somewhat amused and exasperated because that sentence wasn''t in the original contract at all, but something Zhen Ye had added herself with a ballpoint pen, the handwriting all curly and twisted.

    He indeed had made a simr promise back then, thinking he could whip up something to appease Zhen Ye once the shop was open.

    But he had forgotten to exclude the period before the shop opened, and arguing about it now would make him seem unreliable.

    Moreover, Zhen Ye''s stomach started growling at that moment.

    Ma Lu nced at his phone, and it was already half-past eight.

    "Haven''t you had dinner yet?"

    Zhen Ye nodded vigorously.

    "Shall I order some takeout for you?"

    Preparing roujiamo at this hour was definitely toote, the round trip alone would take an hour, and the Earth Dragon Meat would need to be defrosted and stewed for another two or three hours.

    Zhen Ye''s face showed her disappointment.

    Suddenly, Ma Lu realized he might have underestimated the impact of the Earth Dragon Meat roujiamo he had casually given awayst time.

    That was a recipe with a Deliciousness Index of ¡ï¡ï¡ï.

    Before meeting him, Zhen Ye''s diet alternated between instant noodles and takeout, but since she had no reference point, she waspletely content with it.

    Even subconsciously, she had been branded with the belief that "this is what food in the world tastes like."

    It wasn''t untilst week when she tasted the Earth Dragon Meat roujiamo that she was utterly overwhelmed by its supreme deliciousness!

    From her soul to her body, she surrendered to the overwhelming power of this food!!!

    In fact, just now Ma Lu might have misunderstood, Zhen Ye racing down from upstairs so quickly, not out of trust in him, or ack ofmon sense, but purely because she thought he came to feed her those meat pies fromst time.

    Ma Lu sighed, "Never mind, just wait. There''s definitely no meat pies today, but I''ll see if I can get Old Wang to make something else to eat, is there a supermarket nearby where I can buy vegetables?"

 Chapter 114 Test

    Chapter 114 Test

    Ma Lu went to the supermarket, bought some vegetables and spare ribs, and had Old Wang make Zhen Ye a rice dish with the leftover braising sauce to get her through.

    As Zhen Ye was lying on the table eating the rice dish, Ma Lu originally wanted to sit on the sofa, but there was no space left to sit, and what''s more, there was a bit of a smell in the house.

    So, he just stood by the window, cracked it open to let some air in, and at the same time started talking to Zhen Ye about the renovation.

    "The renovation team will start the day after tomorrow, so it might get noisy downstairs. Do you want to move out for a couple of weeks? n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Yeah, and take the chance to do some renovations at home too. I see that your wall paint is cracked, and there''s seepage on the window sill. I used the kitchen earlier, and the drain isn''t flowing well. If you do it together with my shop, it could be cheaper too."

    Zhen Ye nibbled on a piece of spare ribs and said vaguely, "I¡­ I don''t know how to renov¡­renovate, and I don''t want to deal with¡­ other people."

    "If you''re sure you want to renovate, I can help you arrange everything, so you won''t have to interact with anyone else," said Ma Lu.

    Zhen Ye finished the rice on her te, even licked it clean of the soup, tilted her head to think, and took out her phone to type.

    ¡ª¡ªHow long will the renovation take?

    "Two to three weeks, I guess. Plus, it''d be best to let it air out to get rid of the formaldehyde, so at most you can move back in a month, and everything here will be as good as new."

    ¡ª¡ªThen I''ll stay at your ce first.

    "No."

    Ma Lu had too many things at his ce that couldn''t be seen, so he immediately refused without a second thought.

    ¡ª¡ªI can sleep on the sofa.

    "The sofa is already taken."

    ¡ª¡ªThe balcony is also fine.

    "Someone''s on the balcony too," said Ma Lu. "My ce is already too crowded, truly no room for another person. I''ll help you rent another apartment in this neighborhood."

    "Oh." Zhen Ye''s disappointment was visible.

    Ma Lu added, "When it''s time, Old Wang and I will deliver food to you ording to the contract. By the way, did your aunt transfer the money to you?"

    Zhen Ye perked up a bit at the mention of food, shook her head, and said, "No."

    "Then I''ll get Lawyer Zhuang to press her about it. If she really doesn''t want to pay, we''ll have to take legal action. Tonight, remember to pack your change of clothes, gaming gear, and any valuables to bring to your new ce tomorrow."

    "Okay."

    Ma Lu was eager to appreciate the three high-dimensional artifacts that he had just acquired, so after a brief exchange with Zhen Ye, he went downstairs.

    Afterward, he didn''t dy any longer and went straight back to his house with Old Wang.

    As soon as he entered, Ma Lu immediately picked up the five-sided coin on the coffee table.

    The Phase Shifter was very simple to use; the front corresponded to the normal space, and the back to a mirror space.

    To use it, one would first anchor the target space, then by flipping it over, one could freely enter and exit different spaces.

    Ma Lu anchored the living room, then turned the coin to the back.

    The next moment, his vision blurred.

    He and Old Wang were still standing in the living room, but the sofas, coffee table, and TV were all gone, leaving only an empty room.

    Although he had seen a simr scene before at the Werewolf Boss''s ce, his hardware store also had a mirror space of the same sort, essible through a wrench above the shelves.

    But Ma Lu couldn''t help but marvel at it all the same.

    As a child, many people dream of having their own secret base, and Ma Lu never thought that in his twenties, this dream would actuallye true.

    With this high-dimensional artifact, he could store the meat he hunted, as well as other items that were inconvenient to show, directly in the Mirror Kitchen, effectively doubling the back kitchen''s space.

    It was just a shame that the mirror''s limit was thirty square meters; otherwise, Ma Lu could even use it to create a special basement level to amodate those particr customers.

    After examining the Phase Shifter, Ma Lu turned his attention to the Beaver Copper Statue. The use of this high-dimensional artifact was even more peculiar.

    It can affect a small area, making anything that people see within that area seempletely reasonable.

    You can use it three times a month, and each time for half an hour.

    Guided by the principle that one must investigate before having a say, Ma Lu poured half a ss of water on the Beaver Copper Statue.

    Then he stared at the statue and noticed that the beaver''s tail seemed to twitch.

    Has it taken effect?

    But nothing seems different.

    Ma Lu looked around and didn''t notice any changes, neither physically nor psychologically.

    However, it might be because he has been exposed to all sorts of weird people and situations recently, so his psychological threshold has increased.

    For instance, if a Sadako suddenly crawled out of the TV now, Ma Lu probably wouldn''t be too surprised.

    It looks like he needs to find someone else to test it on.

    Ma Lu''s gaze fell on Old Wang nearby, but he immediately ruled that out, as Old Wang himself is quite unreasonable, and his tolerance for the illogical is even higher than Ma Lu''s.

    So he had to look for outside help, and thought of Little Brother Yang downstairs. He picked up the Beaver Copper Statue and said to No. 6 on the balcony,

    "Come on, let''s go out for a walk."

    But No. 6, after all, is not a real dog and showed little interest in walking, until Ma Lu promised it a mobile phone to eat after the walk, which made it happily follow along.

    Ma Lu opened the door, and No. 6 ttered to the corridor.

    Ma Lu intended to take it directly downstairs by elevator, but remembering there were cameras inside and the control room was too far away, beyond the beaver''s effective range, he decided to take the staircase for safety.

    However, upon opening the stairway door and seeing the stairs, No. 6 froze, hesitating for a while and refusing to go down.

    Ma Lu also realized that climbing the stairs might be an advanced task for No. 6, and could only call Old Wang over, and withbined effort, they carried the old washing machine down to the next floor.

    After that, Ma Lu knocked on Little Brother Yang''s door.

    It took about two minutes before the door was finally opened.

    Little Brother Yang stuck his head out from behind, first looked at Ma Lu and then at the washing machine beside him, and asked, "What do you want?"

    "Are your parents home?"

    "No, they went on a tripst week and haven''te back yet."

    "Perfect, let use in and sit for a while."

    Little Brother Yang thought for two seconds, then mmed the door shut.

    Ma Lu thought he may have sensed the abnormality of the scene, but after about a minute, the door opened again.

    "Come in."

    Ma Lu turned to No. 6, "Let''s go."

    No. 6, eager for the promised smartphone, cleverly shook itself back to life but got stuck at the threshold and couldn''t get through.

    "Here, give me a hand," Ma Lu said to Little Brother Yang.

    Although Little Brother Yang seemed reluctant, he still came over and helped lift a corner of the washing machine, allowing it to shudder its way into the door, and then led the two to the sofa.

    "Do you want something to drink?"

    "C will do."

    "And it?" Little Brother Yang asked, nodding toward No. 6.

    "Uh, do you have any electronic products you don''t n on keeping? Anything will do."

 Chapter 115 The Witch of the Photography Club

    Chapter 115 The Witch of the Photography Club

    "You guys wait here," Little Brother Yang said as he went back into the room to search for something.

    Ma Lu casually picked up the remote from the table and turned on the TV, only to find that the screen was frozen on an animation that was a bit... indescribable.

    Looking at the half-depleted stack of tissue paper on the table and the simrly indescribable pose of the figurines beside it, Ma Lu understood why Little Brother Yang had taken a minute to close the door earlier.

    He was apparently cleaning up the battlefield, so Ma Lu discretely turned off the TV again.

    Which means this beaver-like thing truly had been solidly carrying the whole time.

    From the moment he knocked on the door to the present, Little Brother Yang hadn''t shown any doubt or confusion about the fact that he had brought a washing machine over for a visit.

    It was as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

    What kind of magical power was this that could twist reality?!

    Little Brother Yang even took a first-generation Kindle out of the bedroom and tossed it to Number 6.

    "Eat this," he said.

    Number 6 looked at Ma Lu, and upon receiving his nod, immediately sucked the Kindle into its drainage pipe.

    Afterward, Little Brother Yang got a bottle of Coke from the fridge for Ma Lu. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "Howe you decided toe down here?"

    "Oh, it''s nothing much. I just recently got a bit more money on hand and thought I''d pay off the tricycle loan early."

    Ma Lu spoke as he unlocked his phone.

    But Little Brother Yang didn''t move, "Just transfer it to my membership card. Next time I''ll keep an eye out for you guys and you can deduct it directly from the card."

    As a pioneering predecessor in the world of stall-holders, although Little Brother Yang had always verbally refused to acknowledge the sess of The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall, his actions had always been consistently honest.

    However, Ma Lu said, "Oh, but our snack stall might not be around much longer."

    "Hmm, what do you mean?"

    If Little Brother Yang had heard this news before, he probably would have shown an ''I knew it'' face and would have undoubtedly thrown a few sharpments, but now his first reaction was actually a bit of panic.

    The main reason was that Old Wang''s cooking was truly delicious, and Little Brother Yang was worried about not being able to eat it in the future.

    Fortunately, Ma Lu quickly added, "We''re nning to open a store. Uh, if there''s still a bnce, I''ll transfer it there for you."

    "That works."

    While talking, Ma Lu also had Number 6 perform turning in circles and shaking its drainage pipe to test Little Brother Yang''s reaction.

    Little Brother Yang''s expression remained unchanged as well.

    However, due to themotion, it attracted the attention of the residents downstairs, and Number 6 went to open the door.

    The middle-aged man who came up was not too pleased. His gaze passed over the washing machine in front of him andnded on Ma Lu and Little Brother Yang seated on the sofa, saying angrily,

    "My son is doing his homework. Can you control your washing machine and stop letting it run around?"

    "Sorry about that, I won''t let it disturb you again," Ma Lu apologized and asked Number 6 to stop, upon which the man huffed and went back downstairs.

    At this point, the test had pretty much concluded, and Ma Lu said goodbye to Little Brother Yang, returning home with Number 6.

    The effect of this beaver-like device exceeded Ma Lu''s expectations; with this high-dimensional artifact in hand, he felt there was nothing stopping him from opening the store.

    His gaze fell on thest, and most expensive, high-dimensional artifact¡ª

    ¡ªthe Tabletop Farm.

    He had already heard about the use of this high-dimensional artifact from Yan Wu, which could be used for the automated farming of ingredients. It didn''t upy space, and it could also elerate the farming speed.

    As thetest product of Creation Technology, there were only 99 units in the entire Multiverse.

    But the one in Ma Lu''s hands was in a damaged state and could only use the volcanic ecosystem, with a breeding limit of 1000 pounds.

    However, this wasn''t a problem for Ma Lu. He opened the lid of number 6, and this time he chose not the right roller, but the left one responsible for repairs.

    After putting the tabletop farm into it, number 6 quickly reported the old value needed for repairs¡ª4000 points.

    This number wasn''t low. The previous upgrades Ma Lu did on the Collection Bag and other equipment had also consumed several hundred points each.

    The starting repair cost for the tabletop farm was in the thousands, and it was 4 thousand, to be precise. Fortunately, old values, if converted to RMB, weren''t as expensive as new values.

    But this time, Ma Lu nned not only to repair the tabletop farm but also to upgrade the Collection Bag to level 6, so he could bring back fresh ingredients.

    Just thetter, if bought brand new, would cost nearly 160,000.

    Add to that the 40,000 paid for rent previously, over 30,000 for construction costs, as well as the money to be spent on various kitchen equipment and staff sries... This was why Ma Lu was determined to cut the renovation budget again and again.

    Initial funds had to be used where they were most needed: to get the restaurant up and running, upgrade equipment as much as possible, and onlyter, when there was spare cash, to slowly renovate.

    But I digress. Since he also needed to repair the tabletop farm, Ma Lu didn''t n on buying a new one this time.

    He contacted several second-hand dealers with ample supplies in the seafood market, arranged times with them, and prepared to inspect goods and negotiate prices.

    He also added a fewndlords and real estate agents on WeChat to discuss short-term rentals for Zhen Ye, and he was busy until 11 pm before he went to bed.

    Then the next day, he continued to set up his stall with Old Wang at the West Gate of Aerospace University.

    In the afternoon, Hou Yihan came by again, but she didn''t visit The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall this time.

    No choice, that''s how a poor college girl is, tight-fisted. Even binge eating at a roadside stall can lead to bankruptcy.

    So Hou Yihan didn''te to eat this time, but specifically to continue listening to the story that hadn''t been finishedst time.

    She always felt there was something profound between the boss and that beautiful sister from before, and this time she even brought a bag of sunflower seeds as an offering for the storyteller.

    And Shen Yue, having nothing better to do, took the seeds, and while lecherously enjoying He Xiaoqian''s dance, continued to spill the gossip to Hou Yihan.

    "Picking up where we left off, tsk tsk, to understand thisplicated rtionship, we must first get to know the two main characters in the story, especially Sister Yu. Do you know what Sister Yu''s nickname was in school?"

    "What was it?"

    "The Witch of the Photography Society," Shen Yue uttered six words, "because she was beautiful and had an outstanding temperament. When she first enrolled, many boys pursued her, butter... well, their oues weren''t so good."

    "Were they rejected?"

    "Not just that, many of them were also yed by Yu Yitong. That guy had a vile personality that didn''t match his appearance, was cold to both sexes, and was difficult to get along with. He didn''t seem to have made any friends in his four years in college."

    "Eh? Really?"

    Hou Yihan''s eyes widened, "But when I saw herst time, she didn''t seem like that at all."

    "Hmm, maybe something changed her after she went abroad. I''m not very familiar with her myself, Sister Yu was one batch ahead of my brother, and three batches ahead of me, so I also heard a lot about this from others," Shen Yue said while cracking open the seeds.

    "Anyway, after her second year, Sister Yu''s past misdeeds had reached the point where no one dared to pursue her."

    "And then our boss courageously stepped up?"

    "Yes, my brother did step up, but it was to pry the sponsorship from the Photography Society for external rtions. He did it unknowingly, which really infuriated Sister Yu, and that''s how they became enemies."

    "Ah, so that''s what happened?"

    "That''s just the beginning. Later on, they also shed at the club recruitment day. The joint event between the Photography Society and the ssical Literature Society was said to be ruined because of the tension between them."

    "That''s why,ter on, when the two of them got together, everyone was quite shocked."

 Chapter 116: Chapter 116 Counterattack

    "Love and kill each other, the standard temte for a torturous romance," Hou Yihan sighed.

    "Not only that, it seems that both of them were each other''s first love, the buffs were simply stacked to the max."

    Shen Yue said, "Oh right, after they broke up, there were rumors in school saying Sister Yu didn''t actually like her senior. She was only ying with him by dating him.

    "Because Sister Yu had a nasty personality, and her poprity was terrible, in most of their confrontations her senior came out on top, and even in the photography club, there were more people supporting him than supporting Sister Yu.

    "Sister Yu couldn''t swallow her pride, so she came up with this malicious n, pretending to be in love with her senior and then dumping him when their rtionship was at its most passionate to get her revenge. The whole operationsted a whole year."

    "Ah, that''s really vicious. No wonder the boss was so angry yesterday, he wouldn''t even sell the braised intestines to Miss Yu. But then again, would anyone really spend a year pretending to be lovers with their enemy just for revenge?"

    "Others probably wouldn''t, but who knows with a woman like Yu Yitong. No one can tell what she''s thinking."

    Shen Yue continued to crack sunflower seeds, "However, she seemed to have changed a lot aftering back from abroad... Hmm, or should I say work really does have such a big impact on a person, even the witch''s personality has improved?"

    No sooner had Shen Yue finished speaking, a red Model S stopped by the roadside.

    A young man around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wearing ck-framed sses, and an Apple watch came out of the driver''s seat and approached The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall.

    "Boss, give me a serving of braised intestines."

    While speaking, he took out his phone to scan and pay.

    "Sure, how about a tbread? 3 bucks each, you can eat it with the intestines."

    "Hmm, I''ll take one of those as well."

    "Just a moment."

    Ma Lu grabbed a stic container, scooped out the intestines, packed them quickly, wrapped a tbread in greaseproof paper, and handed them over together.

    The man thanked him and turned back to his car.

    Then, the passenger side window rolled down, revealing Yu Yitong''s delicate profile.

    Yu Yitong took the braised intestines from the man, specifically lifting it to examine it from side to side, then shed a radiant smile at Ma Lu, who stood outside the window with a stern face.

    The Model S started up, eased into the crossroads, and merged into the flow of traffic.

    Shen Yue looked up, letting out a satisfied sigh, "Ah, the taste is finally right this time."

    Ma Lu scoffed and turned to Old Wang, "You saw the license te, right? Send me the videoter when you get back, I remember parking is forbidden along this entire road."

    "Got it."

    Running into Yu Yitong for two consecutive days left Ma Lu feeling particrly unlucky, and sure enough, helping Zhen Ye move that evening didn''t go smoothly either.

    Ma Lu had found three apartments, and without even visiting them in person, just by sending the photos to Zhen Ye, she showed resistance.

    After giving it some thought, Ma Lu directly asked Zhen Ye.

    "Do you have any ce in mind where you''d like to live, other than my rental?"

    Zhen Ye then lifted the corner of her bed curtain, pointing across the street.

    Following her finger, Ma Lu saw an inte caf¨¦.

    "Ah? You want to live there?"

    Zhen Ye nodded.

    "That''s not good; inte caf¨¦s are a mixed bag, it''s too unsafe for a girl alone."

    "Then... we... together, I teach you... how to y PUBG."

    "I can''t, I still have work," Ma Lu said, "Let''s do it another time, I''ll y with you another day."

    Zhen Ye looked disappointed.

    Ma Lu scratched his head, "Don''t you have your ownputer? Why insist on living in an inte caf¨¦?"

    "There are... many people in the inte caf¨¦," Zhen Ye said, then she pointed at the room in the picture, "Only... me alone."

    "Oh, are you afraid of living alone? But haven''t you always been by yourself?"

    "This... this is home, even though Dad... Mom and Dad aren''t here anymore."

    Ma Lu found the situation a bit tricky, and after thinking for a moment, he said,

    "If you really must stay at an inte cafe, there''s one right by my house. At least it''s close enough that I can get there quickly if something happens. What do you think?"

    This time, Zhen Ye didn''t refuse.

    Ma Lu loaded Zhen Ye''s two packed travel suitcases onto the three-wheeler, and then Zhen Ye climbed aboard, sitting beside him in the spot where Old Wang usually sat.

    As for Old Wang, he followed behind the three-wheeler by jogging, maintaining a distance of half a meter from the rear of the vehicle no matter the speed.

    Not a step more, not a step less.

    Although Old Wang himself had noints about walking and appeared normal even after running ten kilometers, without breaking a sweat,

    Ma Lu still felt it was time to consider buying a car, especially since their range of activities had increased. Having a car seemed like it would be a lot more convenient.

    And when it came to cars, Ma Lu couldn''t help but think of the red Model S he saw in front of the school that afternoon.

    Even though he had already reported the other party for a traffic vition on Shoushoupa, he still felt a bit annoyed.

    Yu Yitong really knew how to get under people''s skin, and because they had dated for a year, she also knew better than anyone how to make Ma Lu lose his temper.

    However, this also proved from another angle that herposure and generosity that day had been all an act.

    Ma Lu was a hundred percent sure that she had lost her cool as well; that''s why she was so eager to get back at him today.

    Thinking of this made him feel suddenly refreshed.

    ......

    Meanwhile, Yu Yitong was still rushing to finish her report at her workstation.

    She had carelessly ced the packet of braised pork intestines on her desk.

    She didn''t feel it was appropriate to eat in someone''s car earlier, and by the time she got back, she was busy and forgot about it. It was still unopened now.

    Yu Yitong typed thest character, checked the report again, and then clicked send.

    Afterward, she stretchedzily, loosening up her neck, and then her eyesnded on the meal box beside her, her expression faltering momentarily.

    She had bought this dish to provoke Ma Lu, and now its historical mission had been sessfully aplished.

    Leaving it here would only be an eyesore.

    Seeing this braised pork intestines, Yu Yitong couldn''t help but wonder, why did Ma Lu''s snack stall sell braised pork intestines instead of something else?

    Was it because she used to like it? So, after she graduated, did that guy set up a snack stall at the school gate?

    Was he still fantasizing that she would go back one day... No, Yu Yitong told herself she couldn''t continue thinking about it, or she''d fall into an endless inner conflict.

    By now, the box of braised pork intestines had gone cold. Yu Yitong picked up the box and was about to throw it away when,

    the man from the opposite workstation stood up first, saying warmly,

    "Serina, I''ve gone over your report, and there''s nothing majorly wrong with it, but there are a few minor issues. You haven''t had dinner yet, right? How about we go to the coffee shop downstairs and talk about it while we eat?"

    The speaker was Yu Yitong''s group leader, and he was also the owner of the red Model S.

    On hearing this, Yu Yitong lifted the meal box in her hand,

    "Thank you, Group Leader Mike, but I''ve got something to eat, it''s what you bought for me."

    "It''s gotten cold, hasn''t it?"

    "It doesn''t matter, I''ll just heat it up in the microwave," Yu Yitong said as she walked over to the microwave with the braised pork intestines.

    "Alright, then you eat quickly. I''ll go back too. I''ll talk to you about how to revise the report tomorrow."

    Mike wasn''t insistent; upon hearing this, he picked up his jacket and headed for the elevator.

 Chapter 117 Not Eating Anymore

    Although Mike had already left, there were still quite a few other employees in thepany.

    Especially the woman with the nickname Cindy to the right of Yu Yitong was extremely gossipy.

    When Mike had asked her to go downstairs to the caf¨¦ to have lunch and discuss work, although Cindy was pretending to be still typing on the keyboard, her ears had already perked up, and a mysterious smile appeared on her face.

    Yu Yitong, who had just joined thepany not long ago and didn''t want to get into trouble, decided to pour the marinated intestines into her lunch box and heat them up with the tbread.

    After opening the microwave, a delicious aroma immediately hit her.

    It wasn''t just Yu Yitong, even the colleagues who were closer to the workstations and water cooler area could smell it.

    Someone asked, "Serina, what are you heating up, it smells so good?"

    "Marinated intestines," Yu Yitong said, "I bought them from a street vendor this afternoon."

    "Hey, they look really tasty." Someone else curiously walked over.

    Yu Yitong was quite generous, cing the lunch box out for anyone who wanted to try to help themselves.

    Soon, including Cindy, three female colleagues gathered around, each taking a piece, while the men generally showed more restraint.

    After just one bite, one of the female colleagues'' eyes lit up.

    "Delicious! And these intestines are so clean, they don''t have any off smell."

    "Then that''s no fun, intestines aren''t authentic unless they smell," said a male colleague, which made many peopleugh.

    Meanwhile, the first woman who had spoken couldn''t help herself and took another piece, and the remaining two, seeing her eat with such gusto, also became interested and were simrly surprised after tasting.

    "Oh my goodness, this is so good?! My heavens, this is the tastiest marinated intestines I have ever eaten."

    Yu Yitong frowned, "Do you have to exaggerate so much?"

    "We''re not exaggerating, you haven''t actually tried it since you bought it, have you?"

    The first woman who had spoken felt she couldn''t stop eating, but she also heard Yu Yitong say it was her dinner, and since she had already taken two servings, it wouldn''t be polite to take more, so she reluctantly withdrew her hand.

    On the other hand, Cindy was already eagerly pulling out her phone, "Quick, where did you buy this? What''s the name of the stall?"

    "I bought it at the gate of our school... it doesn''t have a name, it''s just a stall," Yu Yitong said ndly.

    "A stall? Wow, which stall owner has such incredible skills?"

    "Uh..." Yu Yitong opened her mouth, "I don''t know, I just bought it on a whim, and I don''t know the owner, but he looked quite young."

    At that moment, Cindy suddenly thought of something and pped her thigh, "Wait, is your alma mater Aerospace University?"

    "That''s right," Yu Yitong said curiously, "How did you know, did you get that from HR?"

    "No, no, no, because there''s been a stall that''s really popr on a short video tform recently, something called The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall, located at the West Gate of Aerospace University. I''ve been thinking about going there, but I''ve been too busytely."

    "You''re nning to go there...just for a stall?" Yu Yitong found it somewhat hard to understand.

    "Please, we''re a food review website, discovering good food is our holy duty. It''s such a pity The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall doesn''t have a storefront and can''t be rated," Cindy said regretfully.

    "However, this just gave me an idea. I n to do a feature on street food, to discover potential street food vendors in City B. I think it would attract quite a few clicks."

    Cindy snapped her fingers, getting more and more excited as she spoke.

    But Yu Yitong poured cold water on her enthusiasm, "nning a feature on street food might get good clicks, but I don''t see how it''s useful for our app."

    "After all, what we''re doing is ranking restaurants¡ªsomeone might run off to a short video website because of your article and cause a loss of users," Ma Lu said.

    "Your concern seems to make sense. I''ll think about it more," Yu Yitong conceded.

    Cindy, although reluctant, had no choice but to temporarily abandon the new idea she had juste up with.

    A group of colleagues then chatted for a few more minutes and dispersed, heading back to their respective desks.

    Yu Yitong also picked up her lunchbox and sat back down at her chair.

    However, she didn''t rush to eat but instead dragged her mouse to open TikTok, starting a search for The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall and indeed found many rted videos.

    Apart from various check-in and exploration videos, Yu Yitong noticed an ount called Street Dance.

    Upon clicking, it was the young girl who had delivered the braised intestines to Ma Lu in front of her.

    The ount contained recordings of her live streams, and she was quite pretty¡ªmainly because she looked so pure and innocent.

    Yu Yitong snickered to herself. Setting up a snack stall, then using a pretty girl to dance and attract traffic, creating hype, stirring interest¡ªit was clearly someone''s brilliant scheme.

    Plus, making a killing selling snacks and then the girlfriend earning another fortune by live streaming.

    Impressive! Some people are annoyed that she''s got a boyfriend, yet underneath, they already have a new me?

    Yu Yitong used to enjoy eating braised intestines. However, the thought that some woman got her bowl free while Yu Yitong''s was paid for suddenly made her lose her appetite. The joy of her earlier sessful revenge also vanished without a trace.

    She closed her lunchbox again.

    Not eating, too angry!

    Reason told Yu Yitong that she should move on from her rtionship with Ma Lu.

    And that''s what she had done in the past year.

    Yu Yitong''s family situation was rather unique; her parents could hardly provide her with any financial assistance. The cost of her studies abroad was all gathered through her own efforts.

    Besides the money earned from part-time work during her four years of college, she also took out a bank loan to barely scrape together her tuition fees.

    After going abroad, in order to repay the loan on time and earn living expenses and rent, she had to work part-time tirelessly, taking on several jobs by herself.

    The intense regimen of study and work filled all her time, leaving Yu Yitong with less than six hours of sleep each day, and no time to dwell on her past rtionship.

    By the time she had finally obtained her diploma, she was already eagerly searching for a job.

    She felt that she hadpletely forgotten the figure who had once been part of her life¡ªthat is, until she returned to the school and encountered him again at the West Gate, where in a crowd, Yu Yitong recognized Ma Lu at a nce.

    She had intended to sneak away before he noticed her, but then changed her mind halfway, as if to prove her clear conscience, and took the initiative to greet him.

    Yu Yitong tried to convince herself that this was simply because she saw that Ma Lu wasn''t doing well and wanted to help out of pure altruism.

    But the truth was, even she wasn''t clear on why she had done that.

    And what happened afterward proved it was a thorough mistake.

    As expected, the two ended up arguing again.

    Yu Yitong eventually couldn''t hold back and even fabricated a boyfriend to hit back, which led to her dragging Mike around in front of Ma Lu today to maintain the charade...

    This pattern of mutual attacks, injuries, and counter-injuries was strangely familiar.

    It couldn''t go on like this, it was too dangerous.

    Yu Yitong didn''t want to fall into the same trap again. But Cindy''s words resulted in her being unable to resist investigating The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall again.

 Chapter 118 Repairs and Upgrades

    Chapter 118 Repairs and Upgrades

    Ma Lu found an inte caf¨¦ with private rooms beside the small district where he rented and arranged for Zhen Ye to stay there, making sure to feed her on time before and after setting up his stall every day.

    The day after Zhen Ye moved in, the foreman Old He also brought along the renovation workers and started the construction.

    Although the minimalist style Ma Lu had chosen this time didn''t require major changes, there were still quite a few minor tasks to be done.

    Moreover, there was the refurbishing project on the second floor, and just clearing the rubbish that had piled up like small mountains in the rooms and covering the furniture with protective sleeves took almost an entire day.

    In the following days, Ma Lu basically ran back and forth between the construction site, school, and his rented apartment.

    He had thought he would encounter Yu Yitong again, as from what Ma Lu knew of that woman, she would normally seek retribution as soon as possible after being wronged.

    And her boyfriend should have received the traffic vition notice by now, but this time Yu Yitong had yet to show up again, which made Ma Lu slightly concerned.

    However, his attention was soon drawn to other more important things.

    First of all, Old Wang had leveled up again.

    Thanks to the high-star ingredients he had brought back recently, Old Wang''s experience had grown rapidly, and he had now upgraded from Level 2 to Level 3.

    This also meant that Old Wang''s culinary skills had once again improved, with a 50% chance of preparing excellent dishes that would increase the Deliciousness Index by one more star.

    Looking at it this way, the chance of achieving a 100% star increase didn''t seem so far off anymore.

    Additionally, the prospects of repairing the Desktop Breeding Ground and upgrading the Collection Bag again were bing clear.

    Ma Lu nned to restore the normal function of the Desktop Breeding Ground before leaving and to unlock the Collection Bag''s ability to carry fresh ingredients, so that his breeding side business could get off the ground upon his return.

    Of course, the more free ingredients, the better.

    Especially those high-star ingredients, which were too reliant on luck if solely obtained through hunting, and he estimated that they would be even harder toe by once the tide of beasts had passed; breeding was more stable.

    Since this operation required not just new points for the upgrades but also a significant number of old points for repairs, buying new items would not be appropriate. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Therefore, Ma Lu contacted several secondhand dealers in the same city.

    After adding them on WeChat, he expressed his intention to ce arge order mainly for mobile phones, stating the need for them to be in functional condition with appearance being secondary, and then asked them to give him quotes.

    He took the lowest offer and used it to negotiate with the others. After haggling to get the lowest price possible and then sending the new quotes to thepetitors to repeat the process twice, only two dealers remained.

    Ma Lu ced an order for 500 mobile phones with each of these two dealers.

    It cost him 100,000 RMB, and the phones he received were of a wide variety, mostly antique models from eight or nine years ago.

    Ma Lu fed all these phones to Number 6, eventually gaining approximately 2,900 old points and 700 new points.

    The exchange rate of RMB to new points had exceeded the previous 100 to 1 ratio, clearly not as cost-effective as ordering new machines online.

    However, he did receive a substantial amount of old points, leaving him only 1,100 points short of the 4,000 needed. After some thought, he contacted one of the dealers with better-condition phones and purchased another 80,000 RMB worth of mobile phones. This time, he specifically asked for nearly new models.

    This batch of phones contributed another 1,300 old points and 700 new points for Ma Lu.

    With the old points now sufficient and only 200 new pointscking, Ma Lu couldn''t be bothered to buy more secondhand goods and directly ordered 20,000 RMB worth of new phones.

    After adding everything up, he had spent nearly 200,000 in total, finally gathering enough for the repair and upgrade costs.

    And now was the moment to witness a miracle!

    Ma Lu ced the damaged Desktop Breeding Ground into Number 6''s drum.

    After a short while, when he opened the cover again, he had theplete version of the Desktop Breeding Ground.

    [Desktop Breeding Ground]

    Level: lv1

    Function: Fully automatic breeding ground, small footprint, fast breeding speed, even beginners can get the hang of it quickly.

    Provides a full range of ingredient breeding ecosystems, with a current breeding limit of 2000 pounds for each ecosystem.

    Upgrade Preview: The next upgrade requires 100 new values, which can increase the breeding limit by 2000 pounds.

    After the repair, the Desktop Breeding Ground, which previously only had a volcanic ecosystem avable, now has all ecosystems avable, and the breeding limit for each ecosystem has increased by 1000 pounds.

    Moreover, this is also a high-dimensional artifact that can be upgraded; each upgrade can increase the limit by 2000 pounds.

    However, the initial limit of 2000 pounds for each ecosystem is already sufficient for now, so it''s not toote to upgrade when the limit is reached sometime in the future.

    Ma Lu propped up against the ss case and peered inside. This time, in addition to the volcano, he also saw grasnds,kes, snowy mountains, swamps, rainforests, deserts... etc., all divided into separate smallpartments.

    Unfortunately, it was a bit deste, with no animals in sight; it looked like it was waiting for him to popte it.

    But Ma Lu found the scenery alone quite fascinating.

    It felt like an ecological terrarium, quite pleasing to the eye just sitting on the desk.

    After admiring the Desktop Breeding Ground, Ma Lu put the Collection Bag into the roller on the right side of No. 6 for an upgrade.

    The upgraded lv6 Collection Bag''s storage limit increased from 800 to 900, and it can finally hold live creatures, but only those ingredients listed in the "Multiverse Ingredients Compendium".

    It''s probably to prevent people from smuggling through dimensions in such an odd way.

    Ma Lu had done quite a bit this week and also hadn''t forgotten his main business.

    As usual, before setting off, he calcted the profits of The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall for the week, totaling 197,763, slightly lower than the previous week.

    The main reason was a decrease in the unit price, but he made up for some of it by selling sesame seed cakes for 3 RMB each, eventually losing less than ten thousand RMB.

    The costs were roughly the same, 1,492.5, leaving a final revenue of 196,270.5 RMB.

    And that was about all the money left in Ma Lu''s ount.

    One can only say he made money quickly and spent it just as fast.

    However, after this bout, the only ces he should need to spend money on would likely be kitchen equipment, tables, stools, and the signboard.

    Especially the kitchen, which, with a Phase Shifter in hand, means setting up two kitchens. Just the thought made Ma Lu feel overwhelmed, but once all this was sorted out, he should be able to start saving a little bit of money.

    ......

    This time before departing, Ma Lu didn''t y any games and even took a short nap to fully recharge his energy.

    Since this was already the third week after the beast tide, Ma Lu figured that the other side was probably ready to ramp up the intensity.

    And he wasn''t wrong. When he next opened his eyes, he found himself amidst ruins.

    Ma Lu remembered he hadst disconnected in Boggy''s apartment, and ording to the rules he had worked out, when he came back to this dimension, he would reappear at thest ce he vanished from.

    But the living room where Ma Lu was standing now was only half there; the other half hadpletely disappeared.

    Ma Lu looked towards where the front door should have been, and now there was just an empty space, with the steel bars and concrete nakedly exposed to the air.

 Chapter 119 Blood of Longevity

    Even Ma Lu, who had seen countless grand scenes before, couldn''t help but inhale sharply at the sight before him.

    The Giant Curtain is gone?

    He had been away for less than a week, and upon his return, had the steel-fortified city already been breached by beasts?

    As if responding to the guesses in his heart, a Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture suddenly swooped down from the sky, its sharp talons aiming straight for Ma Lu''s chest!

    Without the enhancement of Blessings, Ma Lu was now just an ordinary person, but having been a hunter for over a month, he still managed to detect the danger from above in time.

    With a roll, he narrowly avoided the attack of the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture.

    Ma Lu then hurriedly pushed open the door of the bedroom, ready to rush inside.

    However, as he stepped forward, before his foot could touch the ground, he quickly retracted it.

    At that moment, the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vultureunched another attack.

    Holding onto the doorknob, Ma Lu swung his body to the right, narrowly dodging the vulture''s second onught.

    And because the vulture couldn''t stop in time, it charged straight into the door.

    Afterward, it felt the ground disappear from under its feet and began to fall.

    The bedroom on the other side had also disappeared without a trace.

    Of course, having wings meant the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture wouldn''t die from the fall, at most it would be a bit disheveled, while Ma Lu quickly closed the door once more.

    He knew it wouldn''t be long before the vulture would return to attack again, and the door was merely buying him some extra time.

    Boggy''s apartment was small in itself, and with two-thirds of it gone, there was nowhere left for him to hide.

    Ma Lu had no choice but to find another way to save himself, and he opened the Traveler''s Bracelet as quickly as possible.

    He didn''t even have time to check hisst point tally.

    First activating the effect of Wonder Webbing - Revised, his gaze then locked onto the Golden Blessing he had obtainedst time.

    The effect of [Super Mimicry Show] was no doubt the most exceptional, and he had found it the easiest to use previously.

    However, to utilize this Golden Blessing, he first needed to find a sufficiently strong target from whom to copy abilities.

    Right now, Ma Lu, stuck in a perilous situation, could only copy the abilities of the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture, his opponent.

    Putting aside what abilities the creature might have, considering the difference in base Attributes and the innate flying advantage of bird creatures,

    Ma Lu didn''t think that possessing the vulture''s abilities would enable him to defeat the opponent.

    So his gaze continued downward.

    The blessings from the Corpse Puppetry Blessing series were very useful as well, but they were equally unhelpful in resolving his current predicament.

    Because you first had to kill a sufficiently powerful beast and then hope for a 33% chance to trigger the effect to possess a Corpse Puppet.

    So he quickly ruled out the blessings from this series as well.

    This sifting left only two Golden Blessings, and Ma Lu''s eyes swept over them.

    Eventually, he chose the second one, which was the same Golden Blessing he had received after killing the Six-armed Ancient Ape,

    ¡ª [Blood of Longevity: There is a 50% chance that every attack made by a team member will convert the damage dealt into an equivalent healing for themselves.]

    After obtaining the Golden Blessing, Ma Lu immediately activated the Sticky Web to retrieve a Purple Blessing.

    "[Mypanions are few: The fewer the team members, the higher the base attribute bonuses for each individual, increasing strength, speed, stamina, and reaction by 50%. Each additional person reduces the effect by 10%, and the blessing is ineffective with more than five people.]

    This Purple Blessing was an old friend of Ma Lu''s, the first Purple Blessing he had obtained after arriving in this ne.

    Originally, he and Boggy had relied on this blessing to go on a killing spree in the novice vige.

    However, as the number of people in the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group increased, Ma Lu stopped choosing this blessing.

    It wasn''t until thest time he returned to town that he saw this blessing again, whereas the other three options presented at the same time were all Blue Blessings.

    Considering that the Purple Blessing was more valuable at settlement, he ultimately still casually chose it.

    This decision yed an important role in this journey through the ne.

    Even though he had an effect simr to that of vampirism with [Blood of Immortality], it was useless if he couldn''t deal damage.

    [Mypanions are few] could provide Ma Lu with the base attribute enhancement he urgently needed, and in a one-person situation, he could take full advantage of the 50% bonus.

    He had gone from an ordinary person to a hunter with certain training in an instant.

    Ma Lu could feel power continuously surging from within his body.

    After choosing his blessings, he saw the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture return, now attacking from the half-destroyed living room again!

    It seemed the previous two misses had hurt its pride, and this time, it clearly elerated its speed.

    But Ma Lu''s reaction speed was also enhanced, allowing him to dodge the oing talons once more, and this time he didn''t retreat too far.

    He took the opportunity to pull out his Chef''s Knife and counterattack!

    His strikended on the right wing of the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture, and with the Chef''s Knife''s ability to slice through any ingredient, it easily tore through the target''s feather.

    However, the force of inertia still made the wing hit him solidly, flinging him against the wall.

    This hit was quite severe; Ma Lu''s chest was bruised, apanied by a continuous pain, leaving him unsure whether his ribs were broken.

    But evidently, the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture was faring even worse.

    With that one strike, Ma Lu had nearly severed half of its wing, directly causing it to lose its ability to fly.

    It turned from an aerial unit into a ground-walking chicken.

    The next part should theoretically be much easier to handle... right?

    As Ma Lu thought this, the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture was already charging towards him again, its sharp, hook-like beak pecking wildly at Ma Lu''s body.

    If he were to be struck by it, there was no doubt he would be gutted open.

    Ma Lu quickly scrambled up from the ground and started ying King of Qin Circling Pirs with the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture inside the house.

    The bird wasrger than Ma Lu, nearly two meters tall, but it had mediocre intelligence. Ma Lu managed to lead it on, and the enormous body often collided with the furniture in the living room. At those moments, a certain sly human would suddenly turn back to deliver another slice, continuing to bleed it.

    By the time it realized the situation was bad, the tide of battle had already reversed, and it was Ma Lu telling the folks not to leave anymore.

    Moreover, with the effect of [Blood of Immortality], Ma Lu grew more vigorous as the fight went on; his waist and back didn''t ache, and his chest didn''t hurt anymore.

    After he killed the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture and took off his clothes, he found that even the bruising on his chest had disappeared under the healing.

    This made Ma Lu quickly fall in love with this way of fighting, chopping and healing at the same time.

 Chapter 120 Novelty Item

    Caught up in the thrill of battle, Ma Lu had forgotten to leave any living creatures for breeding, especially since the Flesh-Crested Hook-Beaked Vulture didn''t seem too appetizing.

    Moreover, at a time when blessings were in short supply, it was more urgent to exchange kills for blessings to boostbat strength.

    Ma Lu nced over the four options, his luck was so-so this time¡ªall blue.

    And three of them were rted to psychic powers, Ma Lu eventually chose [Iron Lifting Expert: The entire team gets a 10% increase in strength].

    The healing effect provided by [Blood of Immortality] was proportional to the damage, which meant you had to deal damage first to heal, the more you hit, the more you recovered.

    So increasing the strength was the right move!

    After choosing the blessing, Ma Lu found time to check the previous messages and located the points from thest round¡ª27,344 in total.

    This score was even better than the one from thest time he yed the Explosion Flow, almost 6,000 points higher.

    Once the Corpse Puppets umted to a certain number, they could indeed snowball in a beast tide, bing a score-farming divine artifact.

    With his remaining points and interest added, Ma Lu now had over 50,000 points, and even felt a bit unsure about where to spend them all.

    He felt that in the future, just the 20% interest would be enough to cover his expenses.

    When would an explosively effective strange item appear so he could put all these points to good use?

    Mulling over this, Ma Lu clicked open the Strange Object Store once again.

    And the very first item in the first column caught his eye.

    [Golden Spoon]

    Function: You were born with a golden spoon in your mouth, a fortunate child. At the start of each game, you get an extra Purple Blessing, three Blue Blessings, and five White Blessings. Price: 3,900

    Ma Lu pped his thigh, regretting not checking the store before starting the fight.

    One Purple Blessing, three Blue Blessings, and five White Blessings might not sound like much, and if you had the money, you could buy fresh ingredients directly from the market to exchange for blessings¡ªsometimes even receiving a Golden Blessing.

    But in a special situation like now, where there''s no time to gather blessings before battlemences, those nine blessings from [Golden Spoon] could be critically important.

    Ma Lu didn''t hesitate and immediately bought the strange object, then continued browsing and saw another item [Resurrection Armor].

    Function: Designate a target. Provide one chance for resurrection, limited to once per round. The target must not be dead for more than 100 seconds, and will automatically enter a dying state upon resurrection. Price: 7,900

    Ma Lu had just beenmenting not encountering any tough items, and here he stumbled upon the most expensive item the Strange Object Store had sold since its opening.

    Yet its effect was truly top-notch, providing a resurrection opportunity that greatly increased the safety of the team.

    Even though after being saved, it only left a sliver of health remaining, not like the Purple Blessing [Resurrected from Death] he had obtained before, which allowed for a full health resurrection on the spot.

    But it had the advantage of being a steady trigger, usable once in every game, guaranteeing it wouldn''te to nothing.

    Moreover, Ma Lu noticed that the item''s function did not limit the target to being on the same team; in other words, this artifact could be used on anyone, including prey.

    This gave rise to a new idea in Ma Lu''s mind.

    As ismonly known, capturing a target alive is usually far more difficult than simply killing it, especially those with formidable strength.

    But with [Resurrection Armor], Ma Lu could simply kill the target creature and then revive it, rendering the beast nearly powerless in its dying state, ready for easy bagging.

    Moreover, the blessings that were due weren''t shortchanged; it''s just that this procedure felt somewhat familiar... as if I''d seen it somewhere before.

    After purchasing the strange object, Ma Lu activated the effect of the work n, specifying the [Blood of Immortality], then he used the newly acquired [Golden Spoon].

    The blessings that came with the strange object were simr to those that would emerge duringbat, all requiring a choice.

    And this time, Ma Lu''s luck had returned.

    When he chose the first Purple Blessing, he triggered the effect of the Heartbeat Lottery, and one of the Purple Blessings flickered and upgraded into a Golden Blessing.

    [Berserker: When a team member is injured, their strength is proportionally increased while diminishing 40% of their pain perception.]

    Looking solely at the effects of this blessing, one could only say it was average; after all, life is priceless, and trading blood for strength seemed like a bad deal any way you looked at it.

    However,bined with the effect of the [Blood of Immortality], being able to deal high damage while in a critical state and then self-heal a significant amount not only enhanced the output but also survival, making the blessing much more usable.

    Yet just how much the strength-enhancement effect of this blessing would actually be remained to be tested inter realbat scenarios, but being a Golden Blessing, one would assume the values wouldn''t be too stingy.

    Then, Ma Lu received 3 Blue Blessings and 5 White Blessings, all of which were primarily for enhancing attributes.

    After selecting his blessings, he searched the room to see if Boggy and the others had left anything behind.

    Ma Lu needed to know what had happened after he left, the current state of the Giant Curtain, and whether the other members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group were still alive before he could n his next course of action.

    However, whether it was because the other Hunting Group members had encountered misfortune or had retreated too hastily, they had left no clues at all.

    In the bathroom, Ma Lu found the box where he stored his hunting clothes and other equipment, but the box was open andpletely empty.

    Having confirmed there was nothing of value left in the apartment, Ma Lu prepared to head downstairs.

    Half of the small building had already gone, and without anything to shield it, the remaining half appeared ready to copse at any moment and wasn''t a ce to linger.

    However, getting downstairs was also an issue. With the corridor gone, of course, there would be no stairs left.

    Luckily, Boggy''s floor wasn''t too high, just the third story, and Ma Lu''s enhanced strength and reflexes allowed him to find a drainpipe on the outside wall and slide down easily.

    But as soon as hended, he was spotted by two Two-Headed Hyenas strolling on the street nearby.

    Ma Lu had seen Boggy handle these beasts before and thought it seemed pretty easy; even without blessings, Boggy could take on two at once.

    So, Ma Lu didn''t try to hide but drew his Chef''s Knife instead.

    His n seemed sound¡ªdodge the first Two-Headed Hyena''s attack, then counter with a knife to sever one of its legs and incapacitate it.

    Next, he''d sprint a short distance to create separation and focus on dealing with the second one. After dispatching the second one, he would return to deal with the injured Two-Headed Hyena.

    The n was perfect, but implementing it didn''t go smoothly.

    Indeed, Ma Lu, with superior reflexes and speed, evaded the charge of the first Two-Headed Hyena and severed its left foreleg.

    However, he underestimated the creature''s agility, which was increased by having an extra head, as the hyena''s neck could twist back further.

    Ma Lu was bitten on the shoulder by one of its heads, the pain making him bare his teeth.

    Thankfully, the [Berserker] blessing was in effect, so he only retained 60% of the pain.

    He didn''t scream in agony, bearing the pain while stabbing the Chef''s Knife into the abdomen of the Two-Headed Hyena and stirring it around vigorously.

    The Two-Headed Hyena let go due to the pain, but before Ma Lu could catch his breath, the second one lunged at him.

 Chapter 121: Chapter 121 I Alone Level-Up

    Ma Lu couldn''t retract his chef''s knife in time, so he had to kick out at the Two-Headed Hyena''s left nk first.

    The kick sent it flying away, crashing into a concrete b on the roadside.

    Ma Lu took a quick nce at his character status bar and noticed that his strength bonus had increased from the previous 65% to 112%.

    That meant the bite from the first Two-Headed Hyena had given him a 47% strength increase.

    No wonder that kick was so fierce.

    Ma Lu flexed his ankle and, holding the chef''s knife, walked toward the Two-Headed Hyena that had been kicked away.

    The hyena was clearly in pain, barely managing to get up from the ground, but its left foreleg was still trembling slightly.

    Ma Lu didn''t give it a chance to recover. Noticing that its movements were affected, he immediately charged at it and swung his knife at the left head!

    The de came down fast and hard!

    The Two-Headed Hyena attempted to dodge, but was still unable to evade the strike, and Ma Lu decapitated it with one swift blow, blood sttering everywhere!

    And this time, Ma Lu had learned his lesson, retreating immediately after striking, hit or miss, to regain a safe distance.

    The hyena, having lost one of its heads, did not fall dead on the spot, but it clearly recognized the danger, as the roles of hunter and hunted had been reversed.

    It tried to flee.

    But Ma Lu wasn''t about to let the blessings that had been delivered to him slip away.

    Just as the Two-Headed Hyena lifted its leg, Ma Lu rushed forward again with a stride, swinging his knife at the nape of the fleeing hyena''s neck.

    With a squelch, the chef''s knife easily prated the hyena''s neck, slicing downward and severing its vertebrae.

    As his prey fell to the ground, Ma Lu felt a sense of emptiness.

    His wound on the right shoulder hadpletely healed, and his strength bonus had also fallen back to 65%.

    Then Ma Lu walked over to the grievously injured Two-Headed Hyena, ending its suffering and collecting one Purple Blessing and one Blue Blessing.

    Ma Lu looked at the Purple Blessing that had been upgraded by the Heartbeat Lottery, another familiar one.

    [Backstab: When a team member attacks from behind the target, there''s a 33% chance to increase speed by 40% and cause double damage.]

    Though it wasn''t the Bloodsucking Style of Blessing he preferred, its strength was considerable in itself.

    However, the remaining Blue Blessing was somewhat mediocre; three of the four options were rted to Psychic Power, and one had been downgraded by the Heartbeat Lottery to a White Blessing.

    Ma Lu chose a [Too Trappy] without much thought.

    If he could meet up with the other members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, this blessing could be useful for Seta.

    Dealing with the two Two-Headed Hyenas took some time, and Ma Lu contemted where he should head next.

    Eventually, he decided to look around the Hunter''s Guild, mainly because he wasn''t very familiar with the Giant Curtain; there were only a handful of ces he had visited ¨C Boggy''s apartment, the Little Bear Bar, the marketce, and the Hunter''s Guild.

    If there were any survivors left in the city, it seemed likelier that they would gather at the Hunter''s Guild.

    Having made up his mind, Ma Lu dipped his hand in the blood of one of the Two-Headed Hyenas and left a message on the ground for Boggy, although he wasn''t sure if Boggy would ever see it.

    This made him feel somewhat downcast.

    Ma Lu soon realized that the road to the Hunter''s Guild was not going to be easy.

    The Giant Curtain had almost been overrun by various beasts; he could hardly walk a few steps without encountering arge pack of them.

    Ma Lu would first assess the strength gap between him and the beasts. If he thought he could win, he''d fight to harvest more blessings; if not, he''d flee.

    To facilitate his escape, he would prioritize blessings that enhanced speed, in addition to strength.

    However, there were still times when escape was impossible, and then he had no choice but to grit his teeth and face the fight.

    Fortunately, after several rounds of battle, Ma Lu''s strength had also rapidly improved, and even if he identally got injured, he could rely on the [Blood of Immortality] to suck the blood back.

    Despite this, it took him a full three hours to finally reach the entrance hall of the Hunter''s Guild with great difficulty.

    The bad news was that the Hunter''s Guild was not spared either, and the situation was even worse than Boggy''s apartment, which had turned intoplete ruins.

    The good news was that along the way, Ma Lu had not seen any human corpses. Of course, it was also possible that they had been eaten by the beasts, but the fact was that he had not seen many weapons or pieces of equipment either.

    It seemed more like an organized retreat. Ma Lu remembered Boggy mentioning that there were two more levels underground in the Giant Curtain.

    He surmised that the city''s inhabitants had strategically abandoned the surface, retreated, and taken defense underground, which meant that Boggy and others were likely still alive.

    However, given Boggy''s character and usual behavior, it was puzzling that he hadn''t tried to contact him or even left a message, which left Ma Lu somewhat perplexed.

    But with no way tomunicate at present, Ma Lu could only temporarily suppress his questions.

    Just then, he heard a rustling sound from behind.

    Ma Lu turned around and saw a Spiked Whip Spider Queen leading five Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpions, closing in on him.

    A wise man does not court danger.

    Seeing this, Ma Lu turned and fled, but after running only a few steps, three Lava Giant Lizards appeared above the ruins, spewing out a stream ofva and blocking his path.

    Ma Lu sighed and once again gripped the Chef''s Knife in his hand tightly.

    His previous journeys to the Different Dimension were generally easy and enjoyable.

    Although he was a Hunter, most of the time, the fighting was done by Boggy, Seta, and Sadie.

    He just had to choose the blessings, make the strategies, and along with Mai Mai, cheer on the side.

    But now, with only him left on the team, if he didn''t want to wrap up and go home early, he would have to carve out his own survival.

    ...

    The first basement level. The second hospital was already filled to capacity.

    Not only the wards, but even the corridors were full of injured people.

    Outside the operating room, Boggy just received the news that Seta was out of danger, which somewhat eased his worried mind.

    Even though two Six-armed Giant Apes had been sessfully dealt with by their team a week ago, the danger had not passed.

    In the following days, fierce beasts emerged one after another, and even the sturdy walls of the Giant Curtain could not withstand the endless, violent charges.

    Finally, two days ago, the walls could no longer bear the burden and copsed over arge area.

    Realizing the severity of the situation, the city council issued an evacuation order immediately.

    All Hunting Groups were forcibly conscripted as escorts, including the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group. They were attacked while escorting a group of civilians to the underground retreat.

    Even though Boggy did his best tomand the battle and took the lead, without Ma Lu''s Meat Pigeon Ability, the power of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group dropped sharply, and the magic was no more.

    In the end, it was Mai Mai who turned the tide by unleashing an Electric Field, allowing them to escape the peril, and Seta, who was injured by the tusk of an Earth-Splitting Porcupine while protecting a mother and child, had justpleted surgery and stabilized.

    Boggy looked again at the wirelessmunication device in his hand. Before retreating, he had left Ma Lu''s equipment and anothermunicator in the bathroom of the apartment.

    Based on the timing, Ma Lu should have already arrived at the Giant Curtain by now, but for some unknown reason, there had been no sound from the other side of themunicator until now.

 Chapter 122 Hong Sha

    Boggy visited Seta who had just undergone surgery. Thetter was still under the effects of anesthesia and remained deeply asleep, with his sister watching over him by his bedside.

    Boggy had a brief conversation with Sadie, asking her to take good care of her brother, then left the hospital.

    But before she could step out of the main entrance, she saw Sadie hurrying after her from behind.

    "Captain."

    "What''s up?" Boggy stopped and turned around.

    "I''ming with you," Sadie said bravely.

    "Coming with me where?"

    "Today is the day the vice-captain is supposed to return. You''re going to the surface to find the vice-captain, right?"

    Boggy was somewhat surprised. It seemed that she had not expected the usually silent and reserved girl who always stayed in her brother''s shadow to possess such keen observational skills.

    She was slightly taken aback and then shook her head, "The surface is too dangerous."

    "It''s precisely because it''s dangerous that you need more hands," Sadie said, "Take me with you. I can help."

    "And your brother..."

    "He''s out of life-threatening danger now. I can ask my mother to help me take care of him," Sadie said softly, "But the vice-captain is alone right now."

    Boggy''s expression grew stern, "You have to think this through. This trip will be very risky, and we might not be able toe back. And I''m not sure if the vice-captain is still alive."

    "I have thought it through. The vice-captain once saved my brother," Sadie dered, "I can''t abandon him."

    "All right then." Boggy no longer hesitated, "Get ready, and I''ll see how we can get back to the surface."

    The Giant Curtain consists of three levels, with one above the ground and two below. The three levels are connected by four massive elevators.

    The original builders had considered the possibility of the top level beingpromised, so by cutting off the elevators and sealing the elevator shafts, the two lower levels could temporarily be secured.

    However, living underground indefinitely was not practical; resources were one aspect. As long as the supplies were sufficient, the existing water and food could support them for two to three months without problems. The bigger challenge was energy.

    The primary energy source for the Giant Curtain was electricity, most of which was generated by sr panels on top of the city that converted sr energy.

    After the upper level had beenpromised, these sr panels could no longer be maintained and were also heavily damaged. Now, the electricity supply in the lower levels was starting to get tight, and the situation would only worsen over time.

    The council and the Hunter''s Guild were currently discussing the possibility of retaking the first level, but even if they managed to seize it back, defending it without the walls would be difficult.

    When Boggy arrived at the Guild Hall on the second level, she found it already surrounded by people.

    There were not only hunters from various hunting groups but also officials from the city council and many civilians looking for information.

    They all wanted to know the next move of the Guild and if there was any hope of stopping this terrible disaster.

    Boggy squeezed into the crowd, slowly making her way forward when someone suddenly tapped her shoulder.

    Turning around, Boggy saw a familiar face.

    "What are you doing here?" Guli asked.

    "I''m looking for Vice President Qin Zhao."

    "Why?"

    Boggy did not answer, she knew that if she told the truth, Guli, with his personality, would definitely not agree to her taking the risk of going back to the surface.

    Seeing her unwilling to speak, Guli could only sigh, "Come with me. I know where Vice-President Qin Zhao is right now."

    Although Harpist was no longer as glorious as before, the treatment for a Diamond Level Hunting Group had still been preserved.

    Guli led Boggy to a side door, where they easily reached the second floor while avoiding the crowds, then followed the corridor all the way to the end and pushed open the door to a conference room.

    In the conference room, not only was Qin Zhao present, but Boggy also saw many notable figures of the Giant Curtain.

    There was Wei Cha of the me Tooth, the Cyren Hunting Group she had previously coborated with to confront the Six-armed Giant Ape, the siblings He Chengyu and He Yueji were there, the leader of the Golden Sword, Hogan, and the leader of the Steel Frontline, Westa...

    Together with Guli by Boggy''s side, all four leaders of the Diamond Hunting Group had arrived. Additionally, many from the Golden Hunting Group were present, mostly well-known established hunting groups, and President Yuzz from the Hunter''s Guild was also there.

    However, he was almost 90 years old and was not in good health. Sincest year, he had almost always been in a sanatorium, rarely showing up except for very important asions; the guild''s daily affairs were handled by the two vice-presidents.

    Apart from the Hunter''s Guild, quite a few members of the city council were there, led by Vice Chairman Zheng Shi Xun, about a dozen in number¡ªall important figures in the council, including First Judge Dionysus.

    But what surprised Boggy the most was the figure at the center of the conference room.

    ¡ªMethe.

    The daughter of Dionysus, the same girl that Twin Sunflower had helped escort back to the city.

    Under the gaze of so many important figures, she was clearly a little nervous, yet her thoughts remained clear. Seeing Boggy and Guli walk in, she continued.

    "In any case, that is the result of my teacher''s research... those red sands, they have affected the minds of those beasts."

    Zheng Shi Xun frowned, "Why didn''t you report such important information earlier?"

    "I only knew that my teacher was conducting a very crucial study, but she kept the details of her research confidential. It wasn''t until after her death, when I was sorting through her belongings, that I found her research notes," Methe replied.

    "Realizing the importance of this notebook, I immediately sent it to the Hunter''s Guild."

    "You are saying these red sands... they are not naturally formed?" President Yuzz, who had been resting with his eyes closed, now spoke.

    "That''s right, ording to my teacher''s research findings, based on her theory, theye from some kind of beast we have never seen before, and it''s very likely that it is behind this beast tide."

    "In other words, if we take down that beast, we can solve the current crisis and save the Giant Curtain?" Wei Cha asked.

    "Uh¡­ I can''t provide any guarantees for you. This is just myte teacher''s conjecture. She was a geologist, not a biologist."

    "Then let''s quickly bring in a few biologists," Zheng Shi Xun muttered, "and have them research these red sands."

    "There''s no time," said Qin Zhao. "Whoever is behind this beast tide is undoubtedly very clever.

    "The rate of damage to the sr panels has exceeded our expectations; now less than half of them are still operational. In another two days, we might lose over 90% of our sr panels and will not be able to maintain the operation of the city."

    "So, Vice-President Qin, your suggestion is¡­"

    "We need to find that thing and take it down."

    "Then let''s recruit all the manpower we can, hunters, legal enforcers, my fitness coach, and put together an army," Zheng Shi Xun said.

    "The number of beasts outside has already far exceeded the limits of what we can handle."

    Yuzz spoke, "We are no match for them in a direct confrontation, and as you''ve heard from Vice-President Qin, that thing is clever. Once it''s on guard, we might never get a chance to approach it again."

 Chapter 123: Chapter 123 A Desperate Gamble

    "What do you mean by that, President Yuzz?"

    "Send out our most elite hunters to carry out a decapitation strike," the elderly man said slowly.

    "ce the fate of the entire city in the hands of just a dozen or so individuals?" Zheng Shi Xun shook his head, "The risk is too high. Besides, we still can''t confirm the existence of that... so-called mastermind behind the scenes."

    "Even if it truly exists, it''s uncertain whether the beast tide will cease after its elimination. I don''t think the public will ept such a rash decision."

    "First, it''s not a dozen or so individuals; we n to form three squads," said Qin Zhao.

    "That way, should any squad encounter misfortune, we still have two others to rely on. If just one of the three teams achieves their objective, they can save the Giant Curtain. Second..."

    He paused, "We are not politicians; you are. How to exin it to the public is something for you and the other council members to consider. We just need to find the most viable solution to get through this crisis."

    Seeing Zheng Shi Xun still frowning, Yuzz added, "We can send the elite first, and if that fails, mobilize everyone to fight to the death against those beasts above."

    Zheng Shi Xun gave a wry smile, "I''m not questioning your decision... Nevermind, I''ll handle the public. When ites to dealing with those beasts, I believe you and your guild have more experience than us. I just want to remind you of the consequences of failure."

    "We all die," said Yuzz indifferently, "At that time, who bes the sinner won''t matter anymore."

    "You''re right, the city council will fully support the operation," Zheng Shi Xun resolved.

    Yuzz gestured with his hand, "I am tired. Vice President Qin will take over the matters from here. Choose the squad members carefully. The finest hunters of the Giant Curtain are all in this room now. The fate of the Giant Curtain rests on your shoulders."

    After finishing his words, Yuzz bowed to the leaders of the various hunting groups and was then helped out by two nurses.

    The city council officials lost interest in the selection process, filled with concerns as they left the venue.

    Qin Zhao then noticed Boggy and Guli in the corner and nodded at them, but he couldn''t spare the time to speak with them just yet, as he first announced the leaders of the three squads.

    Unsurprisingly, they were the leaders of the top three hunting groups of the Giant Curtain. As for the selection rights that followed, Qin Zhao also delegated that responsibility to them, allowing the experts from other hunting groups to rmend themselves.

    This approach might not satisfy everyone, but Qin Zhao was a hunter himself and knew that thebat strength of a team depended not only on the hunters'' abilities but also on their teamwork and obedience to each other.

    So, as expected, each leader of the three Diamond Level Hunting Groups would prefer to choose their own members first and then consider including a small number of experts from other hunting groups as reinforcements.

    After Qin Zhao finished his business, Boggy approached him, getting straight to the point, "Vice President Qin, I want to go back to the surface."

    Qin Zhao was taken aback, "Why?"

    "I want to hunt down that beast," Boggy clenched his fist.

    "No, your strength isn''t at that level yet," Qin Zhao said, "This operation is very dangerous, and even the Diamond Hunting Group has no assurance of survival."

    "And I also have a team member trapped on the first level; I need to find him." Boggy did not heed Qin Zhao''s warning, "Isn''t the guild nning to send three squads up? I could go with them."

    "I can understand how you''re feeling right now, but the answer is no," Qin Zhao was firm, "The operation n was set by President Yuzz, and even I don''t have the authority to change it."

    "Then I''ll go to President Yuzz," Boggy turned to leave.

    Qin Zhao said, "The president won''t see you. He has gone back to the sanatorium. He is very ill, and the doctors have mandated that he can only meet with visitors for a maximum of half an hour each day. He has already exceeded this limit today."

    "What are you two talking about?" A wild voice rose from behind Qin Zhao.

    Boggy looked up at the speaker and saw it was He Yueji.

    She thought of something and spoke up, "Can I join your squad?"

    "That might be a bit difficult, my brother has almost all the members lined up already," He Yueji said, then her eyes suddenly darted around, "Could you first tell us why you want to join us?"

    "I want to go to the first level¡ªMa Lu is still there."

    He Yueji''s eyes immediately lit up at this and she praised, "Truly the man I have my eyes on. To think you''ve already set off before all of us, no problem, I can reserve a spot for you in the team."

    "We have two people," Boggy said.

    "That''s fine, too."

    Boggy was somewhat surprised at how agreeable He Yueji was being, seeing that the usually silent Guli by her side suddenly spoke up, "Count me in as well."

    This time, He Yueji hesitated for a few seconds, "I''ll have to ask my brother about this."

    "No need to ask," He Chengyu came over at this moment, "I''m well aware of the Harpist Hunting Group Leader''s abilities¡ªit would be great for him to join my team."

    "Thank you very much," Guli bowed and said, "I will definitely follow Commander He''s orders."

    Seeing this, Qin Zhao felt it was not his ce to say more and could only sigh, "Since you''ve all made your decision, then I wish you good luck. The guild will activate Elevator Two in four hours to take you up."

    "Thank you, Uncle Qin."

    Having secured a spot on the squad, Boggy went back to her temporary amodation to pack simply and said goodbye to her mother. She was nning to go find Sadie.

    Yet, Sadie hade looking for her first and had brought someone else with her.

    As soon as Mai Mai saw Boggy, she protested, "Why didn''t you include me when you decided to return to the first level?"

    Boggy exined, "Wasn''t your telekinesispletely depleted before? It would take at least three to four days to recover, and it''s only been two days."

    "Even if I can''t use my psychic powers temporarily, I can still fight," Mai Mai said, taking out her Destroyer.

    Boggy now understood the headache Qin Zhao must have felt when he heard she wanted to return to the surface, and she could only continue exining, "I already made an agreement with He Yueji to only bring two people."

    "It''s okay, I''ve already spoken with He Chengyu, and he has agreed," Mai Mai said.

    "Why did he agree?" Boggy was surprised, "You can''t use your Electric Field anymore, right?"

    "But He Chengyu doesn''t know that," Mai Mai said with a sly smile.

    "..."

    Boggy was debating whether to tell He Chengyu about this, and Mai Mai seemed to know what she was thinking. She quickly made a ''shush'' gesture, then spoke seriously.

    "I''m not being impulsive or self-interested. We all know how strong the deputy leader''s abilities are, and his Meat Pigeon Ability might just be the key to saving the Giant Curtain."

    In the end, Boggy was persuaded and nodded, "Alright, but Captain Guli will also be acting together with me."

    Mai Mai''s brow furrowed slightly when she heard this name.

    "I know you had some personal issues with him back in the day¡­ so this time I hope you can put aside your prejudices temporarily."

    "You''re themander, what you say goes," Mai Mai said.

 Chapter 124: Chapter 124 Hidden Weaknesses

    In the ruins of the city, a massive snake with a body length of over 50 meters, covered in crimson scales, coiled its body around a small building, its amber pupils fixed intently on the human before it.

    Not long ago, it had spotted its prey and swooped down straight from the rooftop, hoping to swallow the individual whole, but unexpectedly, the little thing counterattacked with a punch,nding squarely on its fangs.

    As a result, it actually broke one of its fangs clean in half!

    The Crimson Serpent, recoiling in pain, could only retract its mouth, but it wasn''t ready to slink away in defeat and quickly coiled up again, adopting an attacking stance.

    Afterward, it was surprised to discover that it had lost track of its target, and by the time it saw the man again, his fist had already smashed into its body.

    Compared to the massive bulk of the Crimson Serpent, that fist seemed so insignificant, even a bit cute.

    Yet that punch sent the Crimson Serpent rolling on the ground for several turns, cringing in pain.

    A look of disbelief filled those amber eyes.

    It seemed unable toprehend how such a diminutive body could contain such terrifying strength.

    Before it could recover, the second punch, then the third punch¡­ rained down in quick session, leaving the Crimson Serpent scrambling on the ground as if it were the first time encountering a Gold Saint like Seiya and searching desperately for its teeth.

    It made its quickest escape back to the small building it had been coiling around before.

    Ma Lu didn''t rush to chase; he had just intentionally tested the power of a new "Purple Blessing" he had acquired, called [King''s Fist].

    The function of this blessing was simple: a 33% chance to trigger a Heavy Strike effect when punching, dealing double the force.

    Just this one blessing might not be anything special, but after testing it, Ma Lu found that the doubling of force from the "Heavy Strike" effect applied independently and didn''t mix with other strength-boosting blessings.

    For example, after over five hours of continuousbat, Ma Lu had sessfully stacked his strength bonus to 1223%, which didn''t even include the boost from [Berserker] after taking an injury.

    The double force from [King''s Fist] wasn''t simply adding another 100% of base strength, but rather doubling the already (1+1223%) base, meaning if hended his punch sessfully, Ma Lu could deliver 2646% of his strength.

    This was getting a bit unfair; even a 50-meter-long giant snake could be sent flying with a single punch!

    The only downside was that [King''s Fist] was restricted to punches, and couldn''t be triggered with other weapons.

    But punches obviously weren''t as good at breaking defenses as a Chef''s Knife, though he could hold a knife in one hand and clench a fist with the other.

    Having tested what he wanted to know, Ma Lu was ready to take care of the ''sandbag'' across from him.

    But just then, he saw the scales on the Crimson Serpent re open all at once, releasing a cloud of red fog from beneath.

    Hm?

    Ma Lu only hesitated for a moment before he was engulfed by the fog, and soon his skin began to feel a burning sensation, with the parts exposed outside his clothing starting to redden and blister.

    Quite a potent poison fog!

    Having released the red fog, the Crimson Serpent seemed somewhat wilted, but seeing its enemy enveloped by the fog, a smug look appeared in its amber eyes.

    It once again crawled down from the small building, but the celebration turned out to be premature, as Ma Lu hadn''t run off but instead plunged straight into the fog, rushing towards it at top speed.

    By the time he got in front of and behind the Crimson Serpent, much of his skin had festered.

    But Ma Lu was hardly troubled, as his resistance to pain had already stacked up to 70%. In theory, he could even endure childbirth. Chapter Enjoy:

    Now it was only decaying skin, which felt just a little itchy.

    And during the run, he had already gripped the Chef''s Knife in his hand again.

    The Crimson Serpent''s release of poisonous mist had caused Ma Lu some harm, but it also obstructed its vision.

    It wasn''t until Ma Lu plunged the Chef''s Knife into the serpent''s body that the Crimson Serpent was jolted awake, by which time Ma Lu had already run six or seven meters away.

    The Chef''s Knife sliced a long wound along the Crimson Serpent''s abdomen.

    Ma Lu ran another ten meters, then with his left leg slightly bent, he explosively pushed off the ground, transmitting explosive power to the soles of his feet in an instant!

    The shoes from the Bug Egg, given for free, burst apart under his feet, and Ma Lu''s body soared high into the air.

    He jumped onto the back of the Crimson Serpent, and at the same time, the wound also lifted.

    The Crimson Serpent twisted its body in frenzy, even smashing into the ground, in an effort to fling Ma Lu off its back.

    However, Ma Lu''s reaction speed was faster than it, always securing his stance a step ahead, and eventually, he even got onto the Crimson Serpent''s head, where he furiously drilled holes.

    Blood rained from the sky, and Ma Lu''s decaying skin regenerated before the naked eye to its original state.

    Only when the Crimson Serpent beneath him stopped moving, did Ma Lu finally pull out the Chef''s Knife.

    He couldn''t help but shake his head, musing how little time had passed before he needed to change clothes again.

    However, the blessings this time were not bad.

    ording to the disy of the Traveler''s Bracelet, the serpent, named [Seven-Toothed Giant Horn Viper], was a 5-star ingredient, likely the boss of this region.

    The four options presented after its defeat were all Golden Blessings.

    Ma Lu''s gaze was quickly drawn to one of the blessings.

    ¡ª¡ª[Weakness Concealment: Team members can hide their hearts, heads, and other weak points in specified parts of the body duringbat. As long as that part is not attacked, fatal injuries won''t result in immediate death, granting 100 seconds of extra survival time. After 100 seconds, the target will undergo a second death judgment.]

    Oh, this blessing seems quite interesting.

    Ma Lu stroked his chin, noting to himself that this was another blessing whose solitary use was unclear, but inbination with [Blood of Longevity], it could wreak havoc.

    Just dying 100 secondster would probably only allow for avenging oneself at best, but with the bloodsucking effect, he could use this time to replenish his lost health bar.

    In a true sense, as long as he sucked blood fast enough, he would never fall.

    This must also be one of the core blessings of the Bloodsucking Style. Without much thought, Ma Lu immediately went for it.

    After killing the Crimson Serpent, the other beasts nearby seemed to finally sense fear and did not continue toe at him incessantly like before.

    Ma Lu could finally catch his breath.

    Though he had increased his Stamina and there wasn''t much of an issue physically, the prolonged fight and constant tension had wearied him mentally as well.

    Looking around, Ma Lu realized that without knowing it, he had almost reached the entrance of the Little Bear Bar.

    And this small bar had not been destroyed by the beast tide; Ma Lu pushed open the door of the bar, casually killing a nest of Bloodsucking Tail Weasels that had already drunk themselves into a stupor in the lobby.

    Then he went behind the bar, found a bottle of Popo wine that the Bloodsucking Tail Weasels hadn''t stolen, removed the cap, and poured himself a ss.

    Pity he couldn''t find any Honey Lizard eggs; the wine didn''t taste as sweet and mellow as before.

 Chapter 125: Chapter 125 Difficult Progress

    ```

    The three members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group arrived 20 minutes early at Elevator No. 2, where Guli was already waiting.

    Upon seeing that square face on the opposite side, Mai Mai couldn''t help but narrow her eyes.

    But Guli had already reached out his hand first, "Wee back."

    "I haven''t returned to the Harpist," Mai Mai said, "I am now a member of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group."

    "I know," Guli seemed somewhat embarrassed, "about the past..."

    "Let the past be the past." Mai Mai said, "I heard from Boggy that you are here to help us this time."

    Guli nodded, "You don''t need me to tell you about the situation above; you should also know how dangerous it is. Having one more person means one more bit of strength. Boggy is Captain Li''s only kin, I can''t just watch her put herself in danger."

    After a pause, he added, "Actually, I still hope you''ll reconsider your decision to return to the first level, there''s still time to give up now."

    "You''ve been with that child for quite some time, so you should know her character well, you know she won''t be frightened by difficulties," Mai Mai said.

    "Moreover, she is the same as her father. They both do the right thing, not the easy thing. That is also their biggest difference from you."

    "Maybe so." Guli didn''t argue, "But like you, no matter what she does, I will always support and protect her."

    The conversation was not going anywhere, so after a brief exchange, both fell silent. After a while, Boggy also came back.

    "I just spoke with Commander He. After we return to the first level, he is willing to give us 50 minutes to search for Ma Lu. After 50 minutes, whether we have found him or not, we must meet at the designated location with the team."

    50 minutes was clearly not enough, even though the Giant Curtain wasn''t toorge and was subdivided into three levels. Normally, even walking from Elevator No. 2 to Boggy''s apartment would only take a quarter of an hour.

    But now that the first level had been taken over by those beasts, moving around wasn''t so easy anymore. Even a short stretch of road might involve countless battles, and should they encounter some big creatures, time would be even tighter.

    However, there was no choice. As themander, He Chengyu bore the survival of the entire city, and his willingness to give the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group 50 minutes of free action time at such a time was already very bold.

    And this was mainly thanks to his sister, He Yueji, who firmly believed that Ma Lu was still alive - even more certain than Boggy - and she had also persuaded He Chengyu that a living Ma Lu could provide powerful support to their action.

    This eventually made He Chengyu agree to take the risk.

    50 minutes was also the longest duration of independent activity that Boggy could negotiate.

    The group did a final check of their equipment, then entered Elevator No. 2 together.

    Apart from the three squads on the mission, many Hunters and magistrates were also waiting outside the elevator, mainly to guard against the wild beasts that mighte down from above once the elevator shaft opened.

    And once He Chengyu and the others were sent up, the elevator shaft would immediately close again. As for how the people above woulde back, including all three squads, everyone deliberately ignored this issue.

    Once everyone was in position, the 5-meter-thick steel te above slowly opened to both sides.

    The elevator began to ascend, but just as it reached halfway, Arge group of Bloodsucking Tail Weasels came cascading down like dumplings dropped in boiling water.

    They must have been attracted by the noise of the opening door and the elevator''s motor starting up. But before they even hit the ground, they were chopped into pieces by the wind des shing towards them.

    ```

    And some lucky enough fellows, although they managed to escape the sanction of the wind des, would be crippled if they fell from such a height, if not dead.

    The people inside the elevator watched the scene without changing their expressions. In order to preserve their psychic power to the maximum extent for the possibly intense battles ahead, nobody even made a move.

    Those wind des were all released by the Hunters below.

    They were fortunate that they didn''t rm therge wild beasts until they reached the ground, but as soon as they emerged, they were noticed by three Earth Dragons.

    Without any warning, the battle was imminent!

    Chapter Explore:

    The three small teams joined forces and took less than two minutes to deal with the closest Earth Dragon, and the remaining two were much easier to handle.

    He Yueji didn''t use her Petrifying Gaze, but relied on the cooperation of other team members, as well as the help of another small team, to easily take down another one.

    Thest one faced the Golden Sword alone, but was only half a minute slower than the others.

    He Yueji nced at Commander Hogan who was wielding his sword. His giant golden sword hadn''t even been unsheathed as he forced the Earth Dragon to retreat, prompting her to snort coldly, "Show-off."

    He Chengyu then admonished, "Be careful with your words and actions."

    The normally fearless He Yueji actually fell silent upon hearing this.

    After moving forward for a while, the three small teams split up, each choosing a direction to search for the special wild beast that could produce red sand.

    He Chengyu specifically chose a direction close to Boggy''s apartment and walked a bit further with the members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group before separating from them.

    He Yueji also wanted to follow Boggy and the others, but she was stopped by He Chengyu and could only watch helplessly as the figures of Mai Mai and the rest disappeared at the end of the street.

    To the side, He Chengyu asked, "Is that Ma Lu really as strong as you all say?"

    "Of course, like Hogan, he has more than one psychic power." He Yueji replied casually, "Not just two, he can even use my Petrifying Gaze, and his physical skills are unimaginably strong."

    "A mimicry type psychic power?"

    "I''m not sure about that," He Yueji said. "Speaking of which, I''ve looked for him before, but ever since we executed that joint mission together, he''s been whereabouts unknown. He''s such a mysterious guy, but men really have to be mysterious to be charming."

    "..."

    On the other hand, Boggy and the others had just left the group and walked less than two hundred meters when they were attacked by a group of Desert Lynxes. Although not very strong, the Desert Lynxes were numerous, at least thirty strong.

    It took the four of them nearly ten minutes to clear out these Desert Lynxes, but the noise from the fight and the smell of blood soon attracted six Three-humped Wolf Camels.

    This time, the four didn''t choose to confront them head-on but hid in a nearby house instead, sneaking away from the side as the Three-humped Wolf Camels fed on the Desert Lynx corpses.

    However, they soon ran into an Emperor Redback Scorpion and its scorpion army. Luckily, Guli had scouted ahead and returned before the Emperor Redback Scorpion noticed him, then led everyone around two more streets, narrowly avoiding danger.

    The price was another ten minutes wasted, but they hadn''t gotten much closer to Boggy''s apartment building.

 Chapter 126: Chapter 126 Stain

    Boggy nced at the time again and her expression grew visibly more anxious.

    At this rate, they wouldn''t be able to reach the apartment within 50 minutes, let alone make it to the designated location to rendezvous with He Chengyu and the others.

    She was inclined to speed up the team, but her reason told her that would be too dangerous. If it hadn''t been for Guli scouting ahead just now, they would have likely run into that army of scorpions and been trapped in a fierce battle by this time.

    Boggy''s gaze finally settled on the huge backpack behind her.

    The Fury Wings were fully charged. The straight-line distance from here to the apartment wasn''t far, and the flight speed of the Fury Wings was sufficiently fast. More importantly, there were no obstacles in the sky.

    But taking such action might draw the attention of some powerful beasts. When shended, her situation would probably be extremely perilous. The most critical issue was, if Ma Lu was still by the apartment, this move could also put him in danger.

    Just as Boggy was hesitating about whether to use the Fury Wings, Guli, who was scouting ahead, returned and spoke.

    "I found something."

    "What?"

    "Traces of a battle," Guli said. "There seems to have been a fight here not long ago."

    "Between wild beasts?"

    "No, I found some traces left by humans."

    On hearing this, Boggy perked up and quickly went to the ce Guli mentioned. Mai Mai and Sadie were already there, arriving a bit earlier, and their faces looked very grim.

    Seeing Boggy, Mai Mai didn''t say anything but just handed over a pitch-ck mask.

    "The Viin Mask?"

    Boggy took the mask, and her heart sank.

    "This is what I found over there," said Mai Mai, pointing to a nearby ruin.

    Kolete only made five Viin Masks. Each member of the Sunflower Squad had one, and all of theirs were on them, so it was obvious whose the mask at hand was.

    And since Ma Lu''s mask was here, that left the whereabouts of Ma Lu himself... Boggy didn''t dare to think any further.

    At that moment, Little Grey dragged something out from the rubble.

    It was a piece of trouser leg, apparently from a Hunting Clothes, and Boggy also recognized the pattern on it, the same as the set she had helped Ma Lu buy in the equipment store, and she was stunned.

    Seeing her dazed expression, Sadie and Mai Mai also looked as pale as death.

    "Is the deputy leader... is he already..."

    "No, that''s not right," Boggy suddenly had a sh of insight.

    "What''s not right?"

    "There''s some distance from here to my apartment. If Ma Lu had sessfully gotten the equipment I left behind, there''s no reason why he would havee this far without contacting us," Boggy mused.

    "Then why are his mask and hunting clothes here?"

    Boggy vaguely sensed something, but felt the answer was too bizarre to consider.

    The next moment, four steel bars suddenly shot out from the ruins, wrapping around Sadie''s hands and feet, rendering her immobile.

    Then, a sigh was heard.

    Boggy didn''t turn around; she chose to activate the Fury Wings immediately. However, just as her body left the ground, two more steel bars sprung out from under a b of concrete, tightly wrapping around her legs.

    Boggy turned up the power of the Fury Wings to maximum, but she still couldn''t free herself; and the straps on her backpack broke first, snapping in two.

    The jetpack, freed from its constraints, shot straight into the sky like a rocket, but Boggy remained rooted to the spot.

    Guli looked up at the Fury Wings, which had hit the ceiling and was now bouncing around wildly before getting stuck between two sr panels, and then he sighed.

    "Why did it have to be this way? Things didn''t need to get this ugly. If you hadn''t found out, you could''ve quietly died in the beast tide."

    "It was really you all along, Uncle Guli," Boggy''s eyes filled with disbelief, "Why?"

    "All of this was done to protect the honor left behind by Captain Li," stated Guli solemnly.

    "What do you mean?"

    That''s when Mai Mai suddenly interjected, "It was you who hired ck Horn to attack us, not Chi Qi! It was you!"

    "Correct."

    Perhaps because there were no outsiders nearby, Guli readily admitted it this time, looking at Boggy and speaking openly.

    "Chi Qi is a good kid, I told him that as long as he could kick you out of the Hunting Group, I''d make him the deputy leader, so he''s been working hard against you.

    "But he didn''t have the guts or the money to hire ck Horn. His father is a hopeless gambler, and he already owed ck Horn arge sum of money because of his father''s debts."

    Thinking further, Boggy''s eyes widened with even more shock, "The Golden Leopard only attacked Chi Qist time, then disappeared..."

    "True to Li''s daughter, you''ve inherited your father''s sharpness," praised Guli.

    "Although you''ve realized itte, the truth is just as you guessed. After Jinjian died, I was worried you guys already knew something. Luckily, after a few encounters with you, your attitude towards me didn''t change.

    "However, I noticed you were always watching Chi Qi, and I was worried you might contact him privately, so I had to take him out first."

    "But the bite marks on his neck..."

    "Those were from the teeth of a Grey-Spotted Cheetah, no different in size from the Golden Leopard''s. I had prepared earlier, hiding it on my person for just this moment."

    "Speaking of which, I owe you one for your spectacr performance against the Earth Dragon, which drew everyone''s attention, allowing me to take action so easily.

    "Just a pity about Chi Qi, it wasn''t easy to find such a promising young one, and now he''s gone."

    "But why?" Boggy was puzzled, repeating her previous question, "If it was for the sake of the Harpist Hunting Group, didn''t you already have it?"

    Guli moved his fingers and a steel bar pierced Mai Mai''s hand, pinning her left hand, which she''d been trying to secretly grasp the Destroyer with, to the ground.

    Mai Mai, sweating with pain, said, "There''s a bit of personal grudge in this too, right?"

    Guli did not deny it, "I''ve tolerated you for a long time, you were the most vehemently against me when I became the acting leader, even willing to leave the Hunting Group and give up being a Hunter."

    "I always thought there was something wrong with you," Mai Mai said while gasping for air.

    "What''s wrong with me?" Guli asked.

    "Day in and day out, all you talk about is the glory of the Harpist, the honor of Li, and how you impose these things on others, living as if you''ve been wronged deeply. Do you really think Li would care about any of that?"

    Guli fell silent for a long moment upon hearing this, then summoned another steel bar to pin Mai Mai''s left foot to the ground too.

    "Shut up!"

    Mai Mai grimaced in pain but managed to squeeze a smile on her face, "Ha, looks like I hit the nail on the head, and that''s why you''re so furiously ashamed."

    "You don''t understand what Captain Li meant to me. A hero like him should be perfect; I won''t allow him to have any stains in this world."

    "So that''s why you want to kill me?" Boggy took a deep breath, "You think I''m his stain."

 Chapter 127 Signal

    "That''s right. The daughter of the strongest hunter the Giant Curtain has ever seen, Li, is a disgrace, your very existence is the greatest disgrace to Li."

    Guli grew angrier as he spoke, "I gave you chances, hinted more than once that you should stop being a hunter, with your abilities you''d only be a burden to the hunting group. Why, why won''t you just give up your hunter identity?"

    "Boggy''s Twin Sunflower Hunting Group is doing better now than your Harpist Hunting Group, what right do you have to say that?" Mai Mai said.

    With a snort, Guli replied, "You might fool others, but I know exactly how much she weighs. Twin Sunflower''s sess relies solely on that foreigner called Ma Lu, as for you..."

    He then turned to Boggy, "Still the same as before, with no improvement, always relying on others'' protection to fight, you don''t deserve to be a hunter."

    On hearing this, Boggy clenched her fists tightly, "If... if I''m willing to give up being a hunter, would you let the others go?"

    "Toote." Guli shook his head, "I regret it, but it''s toote to turn back now. Don''t worry, though, I won''t personallyy a hand on you, you''re still his daughter after all."

    As he spoke, he pulled out six steel rebars from the rubble, nning to bind both Boggy and Mai Mai''s hands and feet.

    However, Boggy rolled on the spot, dodging the rebars as if she had eyes on her back.

    At the same time, Little Grey also pounced toward Guli.

    Unfazed, Guli kicked Little Grey away, "I''ve said it before, nobody knows your strength better than I do, you''re not my match, so why bother struggling futilely?"

    Boggy got up and tightened her grip on the mechanical spear, "If I gave up that easily, I wouldn''t still be a hunter by now."

    Guli was evidently infuriated by her words and snorted, "It seems the lesson you received wasn''t enough."

    As he clenched his fist, the rebars, previously slithering slowly like snakes, abruptly elerated, striking towards Boggy''s limbs like four arrows!

    At the critical moment, Boggy remained calmer than ever, flicking away one rebar with her mechanical spear, then sidestepping two others. But no matter what, she couldn''t dodge thest one.

    Moreover, her move, which had been meant to avoid the rebar aimed at her right hand, now directed it towards her lower abdomen.

    Guli did not hold back this time, ready to teach Boggy a memorable lesson as promised, but just then, an rm bell went off in his mind!

    Years ofbat experience as a hunter saved him, Guli abandoned his attack and swiftly retreated backward.

    Then something smashed down from the air with force,nding where he had been standing a moment before.

    The ground shook, and once the dust settled, Guli''s pupils shrank sharply!

    Because he realized that what had caused that terrifying disturbance was not some powerful beast but a person. And the ground beneath that person''s feet had cracked, with fissures spreading in all directions.

    "I received your signal."

    Ma Lu smiled at Boggy, but his eyes lost their mirth when theynded on Sadie, especially on Mai Mai.

    He then turned to Guli, "Aren''t you the leader of the Harpist Hunting Group, what''s going on?"

    "Deputy leader, I knew you were still alive!" Mai Mai said excitedly, "Be careful, he''s the one who hired ck Horn to set up an ambush on us!"

    "Oh ho, did I miss out on so much just by being absent for a little while? Even the final boss has shown up."

    Ma Lu had the feeling of having skipped over important plot points by skimming too much of a game.

    Seeing that the three from Twin Sunflower were safe let him breathe a sigh of relief, but then he remembered something, wait, why is there one person missing?

    Ma Lu looked again at Guli, his face showing a killing intent, "Did you kill Seta?"

    Guli was somewhat puzzled, but what he found even more baffling was another matter, he said gravely, "How did you manage to find this ce?"

    "The signal, didn''t I just mention it?"

    "What signal?"

    "Fury Wings." This time, Boggy replied, "That jetpack, Ma Lu is familiar with it too."

    "So you did it on purpose earlier," Guli was somewhat surprised, "you intentionally broke the strap of the backpack?"

    Boggy nodded, "Only by flying high enough is there a chance to be seen." She paused, then said to Ma Lu, "But I didn''t expect you to arrive so quickly, were you nearby?"

    "Not exactly, I was still five streets away when I saw the Fury Wings," Ma Lu said, "I ran all the way here."

    "Boasting," Guli doubted, "how could you get here so fast from five streets away, considering the number of wild beasts on the road?"

    "Nowadays, those guys run faster than the other whenever they see me," Ma Lu raised his eyebrows, "after all, most of their leaders have already been taken care of by me."

    Guli didn''t want to engage in such a pointless verbal dispute.

    He had once witnessed the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group''s battle with the adult Earth Dragon, and he dreaded Ma Lu''s strength, so he warned, "You better drop your weapon and surrender, or else..."

    "Or else what?" Ma Lu curiously asked.

    "Or else the lives of your team members can''t be guaranteed." In the middle of Guli''s speech, two iron rods were already pressed against the necks of Sadie and Mai Mai.

    However, Ma Lu didn''t show any signs of anxiety or anger; instead, he shrugged, "It seems you know nothing about my current power."

    Unmoved, Guli said, "I''ll count to three..."

    No sooner had he uttered the word "count," than Ma Lu had vanished from his spot, so fast that Guli didn''t even have the chance to use his psychic powers.

    The next moment, Ma Lu''s fist had already smashed into his face.

    With the power of King''s Fist bolstering the strike, Ma Lu unleashed a terrifying 2946% of his strength.

    Guli''s head, like a watermelon falling from a great height, exploded instantaneously!

    Blood and bits of flesh sttered out for over thirty meters, staining the nearby road red.

    "This punch is for Seta!"

    Ma Lu enunciated every word clearly.

    "Seta is okay," Mai Mai exined, "That is not to say he ispletely fine; he got injured while carrying out a guild mission and is now lying in the underground hospital, which is why he didn''te."

    "Ah, is that so?"

    Ma Lu then looked again towards where Guli had been, whose head was already gone.

    Mai Mai, on the other hand, let out another cheer, "But true to form for our vice-captain, just one move ended the fight and saved us!"

    Ma Lu walked over to Mai Mai, helped her pull out the iron rod embedded in her body, then shook her hand and pulled her into the team. After that, he caught two Spiked Leg Tailless Scorpions from the next street, brought them to her, and let her kill them to recover her health.

    The bleeding holes on the backs of Mai Mai''s hands and feet healed quickly, making her eyes widen in astonishment.

    Meanwhile, Boggy also rescued Sadie. Ma Lu asked, "What are your ns now? Do you n to continue hunting, or will you go back underground?"

    "We can''t go back yet." Boggy shook her head, "We are searching for a mysterious creature that produces red sand. Without dealing with it, this beast horde will never end, but we don''t know where it is right now."

    "Red sand?" Ma Lu stroked his chin, "I think I''ve seen it somewhere before."

 Chapter 128: Chapter 128 Critical Intelligence

    "Where did you see it?" Boggy grabbed Ma Lu''s hand excitedly upon hearing the words.

    "Let me think, it was near Gate No. 2, I guess," Ma Lu answered, "Are you going over there?"

    "Yes, but we need to meet up with Captain He Chengyu''s group first," Boggy said, "Also, there''s another favor I''d like to ask of you."

    "What is it?"

    Boggy looked at the corpses on the ground, his expression somewhatplex, "After all, Guli was the leader of Harpist. I hope to leave him with some dignity. Could you say that he died in a beast attack to the outside world?"

    "Sure, I have no objections," Ma Lu readily said.

    He had never intended to im this achievement. First, there was no sense of aplishment¡ªending it in one move¡ªand also, as a long-established hunter, Guli had many rtives and friends in the city, while there were still many people left in Harpist.

    Ma Lu wasn''t afraid of these peopleing to trouble him, but it would have been annoying if it became an endless saga like Cbash Brothers saving their grandfather. It was simpler to just push this matter onto those beasts.

    Mai Mai and Sadie had no objections either. The four quickly aligned their stories and then headed towards the agreed-upon meeting point.

    Unlike their prior cautiousness, although they still encountered many beasts along the way, the creatures scattered in all directions at the sight of Ma Lu and no longer attacked the squad.

    Mai Mai couldn''t help but be amazed, seeing this, "Deputy leader, how many beasts did you actually kill before?"

    "I lost count," Ma Lu said, "Anyway, apart from going to Little Bear Bar for a drink, I fought continuously for the previous four hours."

    Initially, it was Ma Lu who wished to call it quits, but the beasts were unwilling to stop the fight. Moreover, often before one battle was over, new beasts were attracted by themotion and joined the assault.

    Thanks to the [Blood of Immortality] and [Weakness Concealment], Ma Lu could barely survive in the sea of monsters. Otherwise, even with his high Attributes, as an ordinary person, he would inevitably have moments of carelessness.

    He could have died dozens of times from just the injuries umted from battle after battle. However, once he had collected enough blessings, it was Ma Lu''s turn to counterattack, and the beasts met their end amidst cheerfulughter, calling out GG.

    Later on, Ma Lu didn''t value white and blue blessings much anymore.

    So, he didn''t stay in one ce but started roaming about proactively, looking for high-star ingredients to target.

    However, most high-star ingredients were veryrge and even if he could capture them alive, he couldn''t fit them whole into the Collection Bag.

    Ma Lu made a round and only caught a few Red-bellied Rattlesnakes, Angr Belly ck Swift Snakes, Link Hedgehogs... and also got a nest of baby spiders from the Spiked Whip Spider Queen.

    That was because the Spiked Whip Spider Queen had the habit of bringing her young into battle, but most beasts did not carry their young with them.

    Fortunately, Ma Lu was not in a hurry. He hadn''t nned to bring back too many live ingredients this trip since he needed to prioritize ensuring a meat supply for his stall next week.

    In any case, it was just about getting some stuff first and seeing how it went in the desktop breeding farm.

    And seeing those beasts fleeing helter-skelter, a thoughtful look appeared on Boggy''s face.

    The four arrived at the meeting point ten minutes earlier than the agreed time. After another five minutes, Ma Lu heard the sound of a fight from the next street.

    However, that battle ended quickly, and shortly thereafter, He Chengyu and his group appeared around the corner.

    They were covered in bloodstains; some had injuries, clearly having a tough time getting here. Thankfully, there had been no losses, and the injuries on the two wounded people weren''t very serious. After a quick bandage, it didn''t affect their ability to fight in the uing battles.

    However, upon seeing the four from the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, He Chengyu obviously paused momentarily.

    And his sister, He Yueji''s eyes lit up immediately, and withrge strides, she rushed over, "Ma Lu, I''ve been looking for you for days!"

    As she spoke, she spread her arms wide, wanting to leap into Ma Lu''s embrace like an octopus and cling tightly to him.

    But just as she got close, she was blocked by a figure.

    Boggy cleared his throat, "Vice Captain He Yueji, we have vital information."

    "What information?" He Yueji said offhand, still trying to get close to Ma Lu.

    "About those red sands, Ma Lu had seen them near Gate 2 before."

    "Can you tell us the details?"

    At this moment, He Chengyu also walked over, his expression stern, and seeing this, He Yueji had to stop in her tracks.

    "No problem," Ma Lu said, "I previously went to the vicinity of Gate 2 to collect blessings... Ah, no, I mean to investigate, and discovered that a number of powerful wild beasts were gathered there. I wanted to attract a few of them, but I found they were different from the beasts in the city."

    "They hardly moved around, staying in a small area, and as long as I didn''t enter that zone, even if they spotted me, they wouldn''t attack on their own initiative. It was as if, mmm... as if they were guarding something, and that''s also where the sand was red, different from other ces."

    "That''s excellent, this information is very important to us." He Chengyu''s face showed delight, then he turned to He Yueji and said, "Quick, contact the other two squads and ry this message to them."

    Although He Yueji was somewhat reluctant to leave Ma Lu, she knew that important matters took precedence, and could only pull out her radiomunicator to call the other two squads.

    One of the squads happened to be just ten minutes away from Gate 2, and upon receiving the information, immediately went to investigate.

    He Chengyu and the leader of another squad decided to move towards Gate 2, with the three squads agreeing to meet in front of Gate 2.

    After ending themunication, the team moved out again.

    He Chengyu, upon hearing about the tragedy that had befallen Guli, did not ask further, but expressed his condolences to Boggy and the others.

    His attention was focused more on Ma Lu.

    Not only because of his sister He Yueji''s unusual enthusiasm but also because Ma Lu managed to survive so long alone on the beast-infested first level and even discovered such important information.

    Both his courage and strength impressed He Chengyu.

    He Chengyu also noticed that the spirits and morale of the three members from the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group had changed drastically since Ma Lu''s return.

    What surprised He Chengyu even more cameter when they set off again and no wild beasts attacked or harassed them anymore; instead, they all stayed far away.

    Not just He Chengyu, but the others also noticed the unusual behavior of the surroundings and couldn''t help but discuss amongst themselves. He Yueji, unlike the others, didn''t specte wildly but directly clung to one of Ma Lu''s arms and asked.

    "Hey, it was you who scared away those beasts, wasn''t it?"

    "Half and half," he replied.

    "What do you mean by half and half?"

    "Some of their leaders were taken down by me, so it''s no surprise they ran when they saw me. But there are many I never even came across, and for them to run away too, now that''s a bit strange." Ma Lu stroked his chin.

 Chapter 129: Chapter 129 Go!

    "Are you suggesting that these beasts have some way of passing information to each other?" He Yueji frowned, "That''s...unlikely."

    Beasts differ from humans; theyck anguage system. Of course, some beast ns might have some primitive way ofmunication, but the idea of cross-speciesmunication sounds like a bit of a tall tale.

    Boggy looked serious, "It might also be that guy''s ability; otherwise, it''s hard to exin why so many animals in the beast tide haven''t attacked each other until now."

    Upon hearing this, He Yueji couldn''t help but feel a chill. As the deputy leader of the Diamond Level Hunting Group, she had hunted many fierce beasts and had entered the Death Forbidden Zone more than once.

    But she had never heard of a single beast that couldmand all the other beasts of the desert to follow its orders.

    Such an ability seemed a little too unbelievable.

    It took He Chengyu and hispanions about half an hour to reach the vicinity of Gate Number 2. They were the furthest away but arrived second.

    Meanwhile, Hogan''s Golden Sword had run into a bit of trouble; they encountered a Six-armed Ancient Ape halfway there. Although it wasn''t as big as the one Ma Lu and his group hade across, merely at its adolescent phase, it still gave Hogan''s team quite a headache.

    Therefore, He Chengyu nned to meet up with Westa first, but after searching the area, they couldn''t find anyone from the Steel Frontline. He Yueji even tried calling them through the radio, but there was no response.

    A glint shed in He Chengyu''s eyes, "Something''s not right."

    Thest time they were in contact, the people from Steel Frontline were about to explore Gate Number 2 since they were nearby, but they had been out of touch ever since.

    Logically, whether Westa and his team had found some clues ore up empty-handed, they should have informed the other two squads in a timely manner.

    And just as He Chengyu''s words fell, the petite female hunter that Ma Lu had seen earlier suddenly lifted her head from the ground and eximed, "So many!"

    "So many what?" He Yueji asked.

    "So many beasts areing, and they''re fast, all closing in on us!"

    In fact, without the petite female hunter''s reminder, He Chengyu and the others had already seen the horde of beasts emerging at the end of the road!

    A mass of darkness, there were at least hundreds of them, and they weren''t ordinary beasts. Over half were fierce beasts with bodiesrger than 3 meters, and there were formidable ones like the Croc-Head Bullet Ant and the Snake-tailed Giant Eagle.

    They surged toward them like a tidal wave!

    The sudden sight of so many beasts caused even He Chengyu''splexion to shift slightly.

    What''s more crucial was that it really was as Boggy had said; these beasts of different species seemed to suddenly have some way ofmunicating, enabling them to advance and retreat in unison like an army and even surround andy traps like humans.

    However, He Chengyu knew now was not the time to think about such things. He immediately said, "Get ready for defense, prepare for the first wave of impact!"

    By coincidence, as he gave themand, Ma Lu was also instructing his team, and his order was straightforward, just one word.

    ¡ª¡ªCharge!

    Upon hearing this word, the four members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group did not hesitate and immediately charged towards the other end of the street.

    He Chengyu was momentarily stunned, and in the moment of his distraction, the four members of Twin Sunflower had already plunged into the midst of the beasts.

    Afterward, it was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep, as theymenced a mode of ughter.

    Ma Lu clenched his left fist and first smashed the head of a Three-humped Wolf Camel, then kicked its body, throwing it into two Rockskin Rhinoceroses, before ignoring the poison needle that a Croc-Head Bullet Ant stabbed at his right leg.

    He then chopped off the head of a Grey-Spotted Cheetah. When the poison needle finally prated his thigh, Ma Lu extended his left hand and, with a ferocious smile, crushed the head of the Croc-Head Bullet Ant.

    On the other side, the people from Cyren Hunting Group were already stunned; they had never seen such a fearless and valiant approach to battle.

    He Yueji''s face flushed with excitement, and her heart raced, though concern for Ma Lu immediately followed.

    Yet she soon saw Ma Lu, "severely injured" as he was, not stopping his feet, and making his way deeper into the horde of beasts to ughter them.

    Wherever he passed, only a trail of blood was left behind.

    At this moment, Ma Lu had turned into a flesh-and-blood bulldozer, relying on the effects of [Blood of Immortality] and [Weakness Concealment], he had almost given up all defense.

    With terrifying strength, he continuously shattered everything in front of him!

    Inparison, those like Boggy who had just learned the Bloodsucking Style, although ferocious inbat, still subconsciously dodged and blocked, prioritizing their own safety.

    Therefore, visually, they could notpare to Ma Lu''s straightforward, inexorable, blind-fighting approach, which shocked onlookers.

    Several times He Chengyu and the others thought Ma Lu was surely dead, but then they turned around to see him continue rampaging through the beast horde, spirited and ughtering massively.

    "Is this... a regenerative type of psychic power?" He Chengyu''s pupils sharply contracted.

    "Don''t bother, no one can guess how many abilities he has," He Yueji said to her brother.

    He Chengyu did not just stand idly by either; seeing the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group holding back the first wave of the beast horde''s assault, he quickly led his people into the fight as well.

    When Ma Lu found a moment, he noticed that He Chengyu''s weapon was actually a bunch of metal shards.

    Those metal shards must have been made of some sort of alloy, exceptionally sturdy, each about the size of a thumbnail.

    He Chengyu''s psychic power was simr to Guli''s, likely also of the Metal Series, but the difference between them was also apparent.

    The metal shards controlled by He Chengyu flew at amazing speeds, and although they might not match a bullet, they were not far off.

    Even Ma Lu, with his heightened reflexes, had to focus intently to make out the trajectories of those metal shards.

    Moreover, when needed, these shards couldbine in different ways and in any amount as necessary.

    Ma Lu had seen them form an arm-guard to block a beast''s w strike for He Chengyu.

    Then, in less than half a second, the metal shards changed shape again, forming a dagger in He Chengyu''s hand, which pierced through the heart of a Snake-tailed Giant Eagle.

    Next, they dispersed in all directions, piercing through the skulls of numerous beasts.

    The leader of the Diamond Level Hunting Group truly had unfathomable strength.

    While Ma Lu was still reflecting, he was unaware that He Chengyu''s gaze had shifted to him, now looking at him as if he was a monster.

    He Chengyu saw with his own eyes Ma Lu''s arm being torn and chewed to the bone, but when he nced back, he saw that flesh was growing back over the white bony stump.

    In the span of a few breaths, the arm returned to its intact state.

    He Chengyu nearly blurted out, "Is this guy even human?!"

    Although there were many beasts on the opposing side, they couldn''t withstand Ma Lu''s unchecked ughter, and although the other members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group didn''t appear as shy, their efficiency was hardly less than his.

    Moreover, with the help of He Chengyu and others, the number of beasts visibly dwindled, but not a single one fled until they were ughtered to near extinction.

    This breach ofmon sense once again caught the attention of He Chengyu and the others.

 Chapter 130 Where is My Head?

    "Are these guys not afraid of death at all?" He Yueji murmured as she used her Flying Sickle to chop off the head of a Grey-Spotted Cheetah.

    Thetter had already been gravely injured in the previous battle, yet even with its intestines spilling onto the ground, it was still struggling to pounce at He Yueji.

    Everyone had never witnessed such a bizarre scene before.

    In this desert, whether hunter or prey, they all adhered to the ancient rules of survival.

    Yet the group of wild beasts before them had even lost the most basic will to live, which clearly wasn''t as simple as followingmands.

    "It seems there really is something controlling their consciousness," Boggy said gravely.

    "Large-scale mind control?" He Chengyu frowned even deeper.

    Based on the information previously provided by Ma Lu, there were still many formidable beasts lingering near Gate 2. The safer approach at this moment would be to wait here a while before joining up with the Golden Sword team and then entering Gate 2 together.

    But if the master of those red sands truly could control the beasts, they probably wouldn''t allow them to meet up easily.

    Even if Hogan and his squad could defeat the juvenile Six-armed Ancient Ape, they might still encounter other obstacles along the way.

    Moreover, with every minute they dyed, the enemy could gather more wild beasts, making the uing battle even tougher.

    In the end, it was Ma Lu''s words that resolute He Chengyu''s decision.

    "If that guy is sending so many subordinates to stop us, he''s obviously very afraid we will find him. My team and I n to go straight through, what about you, Commander He?"

    Upon hearing this, He Chengyu no longer hesitated and nodded, "Then let''s go together."

    However, no sooner had they set off than they encountered anotherrge group of wild beasts.

    He Chengyu was not rmed but rather delighted because this meant that Ma Lu''s previous spection was very likely correct.

    If they could reach Gate 2, perhaps there was indeed a way to end this beast tide.

    The four members of Twin Sunflower Hunting Group still charged at the forefront, with Ma Lu picking up a discarded motorcycle by the roadside to wield as a heavy weapon.

    Wherever he passed, the smaller beasts were sent flying, and even the bigger-headed ones didn''t fare well with a motorcycle smashed into their faces.

    However, their bold advance had clearly alerted the true guardians of the area, as two Iron-Eating Scarabs surrounded the four members of Twin Sunflower Hunting Group from left and right.

    Ma Lu swung the motorcycle in his hand and smashed it onto the frontal shell of an Iron-Eating Scarab, emitting a nging sound as metal met chitin.

    The loud noise even buzzed in Ma Lu''s ears.

    The Iron-Eating Scarab was pushed back a couple of steps, but it seemed to bergely unharmed. After resting for a few seconds, it charged again with its six legs.

    At the same time, many Jumping Mice emerged from the surroundings. These were different from the ones Ma Lu had seen before; they were muchrger, almost the size of small hunting dogs.

    Their jumping ability was astonishing, capable of reaching 5 meters in a single leap. Most importantly, regardless of gender, they all hadrge belly pouches.

    These swollen bellies were filled with highly corrosive gel-like substances. If they faced a life-threatening situation, they would choose to burst their bellies, spewing the corrosive contents to perish together with their foes.

    ording to the Traveler''s Bracelet disy, these new types of Jumping Mice were called Self-Destructing Jumping Mice and rated as 3-star ingredients.

    This time without waiting for any danger, as soon as these Self-Destructing Jumping Mice approached the hunters, they burst their bellies one after another, spewing corrosive substances thatpletely engulfed an area of one mile around them.

    The Cyren Hunting Group''s response was quick; a Hunter immediately summoned an earth wall for defense.

    The four members from the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group didn''t even bother with those corrosive bodies falling from the sky; if any part of their body was hit, they could simply heal through the bloodsucking effect.

    Instead, many of the wild beasts nearby were affected, but the shells of the two Iron-Eating Scarabs were thick enough that despite being covered in the corrosive gel, they didn''t show any signs of pain.

    One even mped onto the motorbike in Ma Lu''s hands, crunching down on it as if it were eating candy.

    Seeing his weapon destroyed, Ma Lu wasn''t distressed; mainly because the bike wasn''t his.

    Moreover, while the Iron-Eating Scarab was feasting, he jumped onto the creature''s head and swung his fist down.

    His second punch was delivered with double the force, but that wasn''t all; it also triggered another blessing, "Armor Pration."

    Ignoring 50% of the Iron-Eating Scarab''s defense, his punch easily cracked open its skull, after which Ma Lu''s entire arm was thrust inside.

    The colossal body of the Iron-Eating Scarab crashed to the ground, but soon two evenrger figures joined the battle.

    The alert from the Traveler''s Bracelet kept ringing; nearly all the ingredients arriving were 3 stars or above, with quite a few at 5 or 6 stars.

    These beasts, normally elusive sovereigns of their own territories, were now emerging incessantly from every direction likemuters flooding into City B''s subway stations during rush hour on a workday.

    Even Ma Lu felt the pressure.

    All he felt was a chill at his neck, and the next moment, all he could see was darkness; he couldn''t see anything, couldn''t hear anything.

    He Yueji let out a cry of rm.

    Since she had been staying by He Chengyu''s side, her battle was somewhat easier than for the others, allowing her the asional sneaky glimpse of Ma Lu''s heroic figure, only to witness his head being sent flying.

    This scene caused her to lose focus momentarily, screaming out loud; if not for the quick reaction of He Chengyu beside her, repelling the wild beasts near her with metal shards, He Yueji''s head might not have stayed in ce either.

    He Chengyu, following his sister''s gaze to the direction of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, saw the separated head and body of Ma Lu, and his heart sank.

    Ma Lu''s strength was well acknowledged; being without such a powerful ally, the ensuing battle would only be more arduous.

    Even with an unyielding will like his, facing the nearly endless tide of beasts around him, he couldn''t help but feel his resolve waver.

    Could they really reach Gate 2 and put an end to the catastrophe brought about by the Giant Curtain with just these people?

    As He Chengyu pondered over any possible means to escape the seemingly inescapable death trap, he witnessed a scene he would never forget!

    Ma Lu, despite having lost his head, did not fall; his headless body continued to fight relentlessly, swinging his fists and pounding two approaching Wind-walking Prairie Wolves into pulp.

    Then he went head-to-head with a Single-Horned White Rhino, his punch shattering the hardest horn on its body; the beast let out a mournful cry, met with another elbow strike, which shattered its jaw.

    The decapitated Ma Lu stumbled around like a drunken buffoon, but that didn''t hinder his onught; with the beasts surrounding him, his wild punches always hit some unfortunate creature.

    But what was truly beyondprehension came next; as He Chengyu watched, Ma Lu''s lost head astonishingly began to grow back. At first, it was quite small, but after about seven or eight seconds, it had returned to its original size.

    Ma Lu took a moment to adjust to his newly regrown head, opened his eyes, and took in his surroundings. He quickly located his old head still floating in the air, defying gravity, with blood continuously dripping from the wound.

 Chapter 131: Chapter 131 Revenge Accomplished

    ```

    Shit, I let my guard down!!!

    Although he couldn''t see his attacker, Ma Lu just nced at his own head and immediately realized which bastard had ambushed him.

    As everyone knows, a person''s head doesn''t float in midair, nor can it run away on its own.

    It was obvious that he had been attacked before, and aside from the Golden Leopard, he hadn''t heard of any other beast in the desert with the ability to turn invisible.

    Ma Lu then checked the notifications on his Traveler''s Bracelet and sure enough, he found the name of the Golden Leopard¡ªonly after his head had been bitten off had it been scanned.

    So he hadn''t heard the subsequent notification either.

    Now that he had found his enemy, what came next was naturally revenge.

    Ma Lu''s legs burst with power, and in almost an instant, he was in front of the Golden Leopard, his fist swinging down.

    But someone was faster than him; Boggy''s Mechanical Spear had already thrust forward.

    However, neither Ma Lu''s fist nor Boggy''s spear hit their mark, as the Golden Leopard had already spat out the head it had been carrying in its mouth before they arrived and turned invisible to relocate.

    The invisibility of the Golden Leopard might not seem very special at first nce, certainly not as cool as a Lava Giant Lizard spewing magma, but it''s one of the most powerful abilities in actualbat.

    Combined with its astonishing speed, it has be the Golden Reaper that no one wants to encounter.

    Even though Ma Lu had almost maximized his strength, he couldn''t utilize it without hitting his target first.

    But once the Golden Leopard turned invisible, he was somewhat at a loss.

    Luckily, this time he had help. Ma Lu looked back at the short female hunter from Cyren and said,

    "Hey, what''s your name again? Help me find where the Golden Leopard is."

    The short female hunter had just witnessed Ma Lu regrowing his head, and her brain was still crashing, half suspecting she was still not awake.

    It wasn''t until she heard Ma Lu''s words that she snapped back to reality, "I, I''m Parma¡­ I''ll start searching right away!"

    Theoretically, as a member of the Diamond Hunting Group, Parma wouldn''t be easily ordered around by the vice leader of a Silver Hunting Group.

    But now she was executing Ma Lu''smands even faster than she would her own leader''s orders, and after speaking, she immediatelyy down on the ground, carefully discerning her surroundings.

    Before she could find the Golden Leopard''s tracks, a Mechanical Spear grazed past her cheek, embedding itself in the street!

    "Be careful," Boggy soon arrived in front of Parma.

    Thanks to those Self-Destructing Jumping Mice from before, their abdomens had exploded, spreading a gel-like substance over many areas. Boggy had been observing his surroundings and noticed a footprint added onto the gel in front of Parma.

    He quickly threw his Mechanical Spear, repelling the cunning Golden Leopard and saving Parma''s life.

    Afterward, Boggy simply stayed beside Parma, using his Psychic Power to create rings of water, encasing her within them to guard against the Golden Leopard''s ambushes.

    And Parma didn''t disappoint everyone''s expectations; after a moment, she extended her hand and pointed in one direction.

    "Over there!"

    Upon hearing this, Ma Lu immediately pounced, but his fully charged punch ultimately still only hit the ground.

    As dust rose, an extra bloodstain appeared on Ma Lu''s shoulder!

    Without another thought, he quickly bent his arm and elbowed backward, but the sly leopard didn''t get greedy for more sess; after striking, it immediately dodged away again.

    Deserving of its 7-star ingredient rating!

    If the Six-armed Ancient Ape is the supermodel of strength attribute among 7-star ingredients, then the Golden Leopard is the epitome of speed.

    ```

    It ran so fast that it was almost as swift as Ma Lu, who wasden with blessings. With its ability to be invisible, even with Parma''s help in locating it, by the time Ma Lu got there, the Golden Leopard had already sprinted off to another location.

    After several attempts, Ma Lu kepting back empty-handed, and instead, he himself had umted a few more wounds.

    However, the Golden Leopard was probably worrying too, unable to figure out the structure of the body in front of it.

    Biting off Ma Lu''s head without killing him had left it confused, unsure where to attack next.

    After a few more rounds of hide-and-seek, Ma Lu suddenly gave up and turned back, charging into the horde of animals.

    He found several Self-Destructing Jumping Mice among them, knocked them out before they could explode, and tucked them under his arms as he returned to the fray.

    Ma Lu nodded at Parma, "Where''s the bastard?"

    Parma had just extended his finger when Ma Lu threw all six unconscious Self-Destructing Jumping Mice out of his arms.

    The mice, having been knocked out by Ma Lu, were no longer a threat to explode. But the sheer force with which Ma Lu had thrown them was substantial.

    Upon hitting the ground, they burst open like firecrackers, their blood mixed with corrosive gel sttering everywhere.

    The Golden Leopard, sensing something was amiss, had already dodged to one side. But the area covered by the explosion was so vast that some of the gel still sshed onto it.

    Ma Lu even heard the sizzling sound of its fur being corroded.

    While the corrosion was not enough to harm the robust Golden Leopard, the moment it stuck, its prized invisibility was rendered useless.

    Ma Lu didn''t need Parma to point anymore; he could tell where the Golden Leopard was now.

    The moment for revenge hade!

    Ma Lu bared his teeth in a chilling smile andunched himself again at the cunning leopard.

    In a relentless pursuit, their speeds were so high that it was difficult for others to keep up with their sight.

    If it had just been Ma Lu, the Golden Leopard might have managed to escape. But with Boggy joining in, it was finally cornered by the two of them.

    Realizing escape was futile, the Golden Leopard''s eyes glinted with a ruthless light as it turned and swept out its ws, striking viciously towards Ma Lu''s chest.

    Ma Lu chuckled coldly, not bothering to dodge, and swung his fist down on the Golden Leopard''s head.

    With a snap, arge piece of skin was ripped from Ma Lu''s chest, while the Golden Leopard''s shoulder bone was shattered by Ma Lu''s punch.

    Although it managed to slightly move its head to avoid a fatal blow at thest moment, one of its forelegs was now useless.

    And then it was pierced through the abdomen by Boggy''s Mechanical Spear and pinned to the ground.

    Ma Lu mounted the Golden Leopard''s back and began to beat it furiously. Before long, he had smashed all the bones in the body of the cunning predator, avenging the earlier ambush.

    Ma Lu then tossed the dying Golden Leopard to Boggy, "It''s yours now."

    Without hesitation, Boggy looked at the murderer of her father, now fully visible at her feet. She plunged her Mechanical Spear into its heart, ending its life cleanly and decisively.

    After avenging her great enemy, Boggy''s emotions surged, but she took a deep breath and quickly suppressed the various thoughts in her mind.

    The battle was not over yet, and she remembered that she had a greater mission on her shoulders¡ªto save the Giant Curtain.

    With the death of the invisible assassin Golden Leopard, the ensuing battle became much easier. He Yueji took the opportunity while the others were distracted to happily pick up Ma Lu''s discarded head and stash it in her backpack.

    Ultimately, at the cost of nearly half the group as casualties, they sessfully broke through the animal siege and arrived in front of Gate No. 2.

    The entire section of the wall, including the gate itself, had been destroyed in the earlier beast tide, and now, in its ce stood a small red dune.

 Chapter 132: Chapter 132 Hide and Seek

    Beneath the red dunes gathered dozens of beasts,rge and small, voraciously consuming the sand.

    He Yueji rubbed her eyes, confirming she had not seen wrong.

    These beasts were indeed devouring the red sand!

    However, unlike the previous beasts that would rather lose their lives than attack them, these creatures didn''t exhibit much aggressiveness, their attention entirely captivated by the sand before them.

    It was as if nothing else in the world could attract them more than the sand in their mouths.

    Just as He Yueji wondered if their brains had gone bad, she saw a Young me Lizard that was feeding suddenly undergo a strange transformation.

    A burst of mes shot out from its body,pletely enveloping it, burning intensely for a full three minutes before extinguishing.

    And, as expected, the unlucky Young me Lizard had turned into a charred ck color.

    But it did not die immediately; its pair of big eyes blinked with difficulty, and then it slowly extended its forelimbs.

    As it crawled forward, the charred skin on its body peeled away, revealing new keratin underneath.

    "Huh?!"

    Boggy, hearing the soft gasp from Ma Lu, turned back and asked, "What''s wrong?"

    "It seems... it has evolved."

    Just now, the Traveler''s Bracelet had sent out a notification, iming it had scanned a Lava Giant Lizard, but Ma Lu looked around and did not spot any Lava Giant Lizard.

    So there was only one exnation, the unassuming Young me Lizard before them had justpleted its metamorphosis, evolving into a Lava Giant Lizard.

    Ma Lu''s face lit up with joy; the volcano grilled sausages had always been popr, and the fiery sausage spectacle was a big draw.

    One could say that 90% of the traffic at The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall came from there, with many people stilling daily, specifically requesting to eat the volcano grilled sausages.

    Unfortunately, Ma Lu had run out of ingredients, and there would be no such problem if the Lava Giant Lizard could be farmed.

    However, the ones he encountered in the city were bigger than the next, the lightest weighing over 2000 pounds, and even if cut in half, they still wouldn''t fit into the Collection Bag.

    Inparison, the size of the one before him was perfect; Ma Lu weighed it and figured it was less than 2 ounces, not heavy at all.

    Ma Lu scooped up the newly evolved little lizard in one go and moved it to a new home.

    The only regret was that there was just one; to breed more, he would need at least one more of the opposite sex.

    Therefore, Ma Lu turned his head to look elsewhere, and although he did not find another Lava Giant Lizard, he did discover two Seven-Toothed Giant Horn Vipers.

    They were the same red giant snakes that had fought him before, capable of releasing poison mist, standard 5-star ingredients, and there were two of them at once.

    These two also appeared to have recently hatched, only slightlyrger than the ordinary Red-bellied Rattlesnakes, and could easily fit into the Collection Bag.

    Holy moly, I''m going to be rich!

    Ma Lu, thrilled, scooped up the two Seven-Toothed Giant Horn Vipers, making them neighbors of the Lava Giant Lizard he''d just caught.

    The consecutive captures boosted Ma Lu''s confidence, prompting him to scan the surroundings even more carefully.

    Then he noticed most of the nearby beasts were in their juvenile stage, and many had fairly high star ratings.

    Ma Lu''s eyes gleamed with excitement as he grabbed his Collection Bag and charged forward.

    Meanwhile, Boggy, He Chengyu, and others started to search the area cautiously, hoping to uncover the hidden antagonist controlling the beasts and causing this beast tide.

    However, they searched through that field of red sand dunes but came away empty-handed.

    Even Parma, whoy on the ground and listened for a long time, did not hear any suspicious sounds.

    Besides the few dozen animals under the red dunes, there were no other signs of life nearby.

    He Chengyu''s face turned ugly. Could it be that the creature had already escaped beforehand?

    This time, they had sacrificed many people to make their way here, and if they were to give up now, the chances of stopping the beast tide would be even slimmer.

    At this time, Ma Lu''s shopping had alsoe to an end. ncing back at the notifications, he found a very unfamiliar name¡ª[Beast Herding Frog].

    Since it was just a 1-star ingredient, Ma Lu hadn''t paid much attention to it at the time, but now, following Boggy and the others as they ounted for each of the wild beasts here, he found that only the Beast Herding Frog was missing.

    It was odd, however, that Parma had not heard it either.

    Since the Traveler''s Bracelet had scanned it, it shouldn''t be too far away.

    Ma Lu looked again at that notification, as well as the one before and the one after it, and found the beasts mentioned in these notifications.

    They were a Link Hedgehog and a Rockskin Rhinoceros.

    Ma Lu first ruled out the Link Hedgehog and approached the Rockskin Rhinoceros, walking a full circle around it.

    The Rockskin Rhinoceros, also a juvenile, was among therger animals there, nearly the size of a panda.

    When Ma Lu approached it, he could clearly sense its unease, as if it wanted to run away but knew it couldn''t escape, so it just retreated two steps and then stood there again, pretending to stroll.

    Ma Lu watched it for a while and then suddenlyughed out loud.

    Because he now knew where the Beast Herding Frog was hiding.

    Almost all the wild beasts nearby were busy burying their heads in the red sand eating voraciously, but this Rockskin Rhinoceros was just standing idly by, appearing quite proper.

    Ma Lu took a confident stride towards it and pried open itsrge mouth.

    The Rockskin Rhinoceros desperately tried to close its mouth, but its strength was no match for Ma Lu''s.

    With ease, Ma Lu pried its mouth open and found the red frog hidden inside.

    Ma Lu even checked it against the field guide to make sure it was identical before reaching in with two fingers and pinching out the Beast Herding Frog.

    Honestly, based on its appearance alone, it was difficult to link it to the big boss behind the beast tide.

    The Beast Herding Frog was the size of an ordinary frog, looked like a typical frog, with a vacant gaze and a belly that bulged rhythmically, all covered in saliva.

    And with its status as a 1-star ingredient, its power to deceive was at its peak.

    Even Ma Lu began to doubt whether he had found the right creature, but adhering to the principle of ''better to err on the side of caution,'' his fingers still applied slight pressure, ready to burst the frog.

    That action stirred up a ho''s nest. The dozens of beasts, which had been quietly feeding until then, suddenly stopped and let out a collective wail with some even shedding tears.

    Ma Lu nced at the frog in his hand again and noticed that it too was staring back at him.

    Those dull,rge eyes showed a glint of pleading.

    Ma Lu hesitated, then changed his mind at thest minute and threw it into the Collection Bag, nning to show it to Old Wang when he returned.

    After all, the creature was light and not much trouble to carry with him. If it proved useless, killing itter wouldn''t be toote.

 Chapter 133 Beast Herding Frog

    As Ma Lu tossed the red frog into the stic bag they carried with them, the beast swarm stirred once again.

    But this time, they lost their previous disciplined advance and retreat, bing chaotic like headless flies, and even began to attack each other.

    Nearly three weeks had gone by since the beast swarm started, and many of the wild beasts were already so hungry that their bellies were stuck to their spines, restrained by some force from hunting their usual prey.

    Once the Beast Herding Frog disappeared, their animal instincts took over once more, and they began to tear at each other on the spot. Battles erupted everywhere in the city, quickly turning into rivers of blood.

    Afterward, quite a few wild beasts ran to the vicinity of Gate 2, fighting fiercely over the red sand on the ground, forcing Ma Lu and the others to relocate further outside the city.

    He Chengyu, who witnessed this chaotic scene, was not frightened but pleased, and he couldn''t help but let out a sigh of relief.

    It was foreseeable that a significant number of wild beasts would remain in the city after this bout of infighting, but as long as no new beasts continued to pour in, it was only a matter of time before the remaining ones were cleared out.

    It wouldn''t be long before the hunters from Giant Curtain could reim the first floor and repair the entire city.

    He Chengyu conveyed this good news back to the guild, and the people underground were also jubnt.

    When the smell of blood had dissipated a little, everyone returned to the city to meet with the survivors from Golden Sword, still led by the four from Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, fighting their way back to Elevator 2.

    The city council had not anticipated any team returning alive; ording to their own assessment inside the Hunter''s Guild, the likelihood of the three teamspleting their mission was less than 7%.

    However, their response was swift. After receiving the radio transmission, they quickly assembled another group of hunters, reopened the elevator, and set off to meet He Chengyu and the others.

    And Speaker Chf, along with the recuperating President Yuzz of the Hunter''s Guild, also rushed to the elevator to wee the triumphant heroes.

    The entire city was immersed in the joy of survival after the ordeal.

    However, as the core figure who shone the brightest in this battle, Ma Lu did not return underground with Boggy and the others.

    After regrouping with the people from Golden Sword, the countdown on his wristwatch showed less than half an hour remaining.

    By the time he encountered the hunters who came to meet him, his time in this world hadpletely run out.

    Back in the living room, Ma Lu eagerly opened the Collection Bag and took out the fresh ingredients he had brought back, preparing to put them into the desktop breeding farm for propagation.

    These included 4 Red-bellied Rattlesnakes, 3 Angr Belly ck Swift Snakes, 2 Link Hedgehogs, 8 Tiny Spiny Leg Whip Spiders, 2 Seven-Toothed Giant Horn Vipers, 1 Lava Giant Lizard, 2 Earth Dragon Offspring, 2 Self-Destructing Jumping Mice, and one ck-Crowned Sand Dune Crane with one Beast Herding Frog.

    Ma Lu had carefully selected these creatures, all of which were juveniles, and within their species, they were the lightest and smallest, weighing less than 200 kilograms in total.

    Once ced inside the Collection Bag, their bodies seemed to freeze, losing all reactions to the outside world and the ability to think, only retaining the most basic vital signs.

    ording to Old Wang, these ingredients would "thaw" half an hour to an hour after being taken out of the Collection Bag, regaining consciousness.

    The remaining 700 pounds of counterweight that Ma Lu brought was meat from the Seven-Toothed Giant Horn Viper, from that 50-meter-long 5-star venomous snake he had hunted.

    Originally, Ma Lu did not intend to use such high-star ingredients for snacks, but he simply had too many high-star ingredients from his hunt this time, and moreover, he had nowhere to store them. Rather than letting the nearby wild beasts benefit, it was better to bring it back to make food and sell to diners.

    As for the 7-star Golden Leopard, Boggy and his team took it back underground.

    After emptying out the Collection Bag, Ma Lu moved the tabletop cultivation field onto the coffee table on the balcony, ready to put the fresh ingredients on the ground into it. However, after some thought, he took out his phone first and took several photos of the ingredients.

    If one day guests from other nes of existencee to dine at Universe Infinite Canteen and question the freshness of the ingredients, Ma Lu could p these pictures onto their faces.

    But just taking photos of the ingredients seemed somewhat insufficient, so Ma Lu also handed his phone to Old Wang and squatted among the pile of ingredients, giving a ''yeah'' gesture, and let Old Wang help him take a few group photos.

    The thought that he might be the first person on Earth to hunt and attempt to domesticate animals from other universe nes was inexplicably exciting for Ma Lu.

    This historic moment had to be captured in photograph.

    Unfortunately, he could not bring back his handsome hunting outfit and the cool Viin Mask. Ma lu was now wearing an old T-shirt, beach shorts, and a pair of stic flip flops that cost around ten yuan; standing there, he felt more like a poacher at the police station identifying confiscated goods.

    But he was toozy to go back and change his clothes. After taking the photos, he threw everything on the ground, except for the Beast Herding Frog, into the tabletop cultivation field.

    Then he pointed to the Beast Herding Frog on the ground and asked Old Wang, "Do you recognize this thing?"

    Ma Lu was just asking casually without expecting Old Wang to be able to answer, as Old Wang had already lost most of his memories. If necessary, Ma Lu even considered asking that werewolf at Jin Xin Hardware Store.

    Yan Wu, when he was young, liked to roam among various nes. Since he could recognize the Earth Dragon, maybe he had also seen this kind of red frog.

    To Ma Lu''s surprise, Old Wang actually nodded, "I know, this is a Beast Herding Frog."

    "Eh, you''ve heard of this name too?"

    "Mhm, but I thought they were nearly extinct in the Multiverse, never expected there to be any left."

    "What, did their numbers dwindle because they were too dangerous and were wiped out by The Grand Alliance?"

    "That''s not quite it," Old Wang said, "although they indeed bring certain troubles to the indigenous inhabitants of the nes they''re in, the reason for their near extinction is mainly due to their value, which attracted the attention of some people."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Although the eggs of the Beast Herding Frogs aren''t edible for humans, in the eyes of other wild beasts, they are an ultimate delicacy and can help other wild beasts grow faster and even evolve. Additionally, this growth and evolutione without any side effects."

    "Furthermore, the Beast Herding Frog is a natural protector of beast herds, an invisible beast king. It doesn''t possess any attack power of its own, yet it canmand other wild beasts. When a beast herd encounters an external threat to its survival, it will step forward, gather all the wild beasts, and exterminate those dangers."

    "I see, so that''s the reason for the beast tides," Ma Lu realized. Then another thought struck him, "You just said its eggs can elerate the growth of other wild beasts and even lead to evolution?"

 Chapter 134: Chapter 134 Timing

    "That''s right," Old Wang said, "It''s precisely because of this ability that the Beast Herding Frogs were massively captured by thoserge interdimensional breedingpanies.

    "But the reproduction of the Beast Herding Frogs is extremely difficult. They usually produce dead eggs, especially in non-wild environments where they hardly breed at all. This has led to their numbers bing increasingly scarce, to the point that they are now very rare."

    "The desktop farms developed by Creation Technologyes with an elerated growth feature that is modeled after the Beast Herding Frogs. However, it doesn''t have the same effectiveness as the original, nor can it induce evolution in ingredients."

    "Eh, then if I put it in my desktop farm, wouldn''t I get double the growth eleration?" Ma Lu raised an eyebrow.

    "In theory, yes."

    Ma Lu couldn''t help but beam with joy upon hearing this, and he grabbed a hind leg of the Beast Herding Frog, tossing it into the ss tank.

    He then noticed that a string of numbers had appeared on the ss for the desert ecosystem segment: 203/2000.

    The 2000, needless to say, was the breeding limit of the desert ecosystem, and the 203 was the total weight of the ingredients currently dwelling in the desert.

    When clicking on the 203, a list also appeared below, disying the names, numbers, and weights of the animals inside the breeding farm, and each of them was even assigned a number.

    That number could also be clicked, and thereafter a picture of the corresponding animal would appear on the ss tank. You could also switch perspectives and zoom in and out at will.

    This is fun!

    Ma Lu unknowingly yed for nearly 40 minutes until he looked up at the wall clock and reluctantly returned his attention, turning to flip through recipes.

    There were quite a few dishes that could be made with the Seven-Toothed Giant Horn Viper he brought back this time, a good two pages'' worth, but either the procedures were somewhatplex or they still retained a lot of the original form of the ingredients.

    As Ma Lu flipped through, it seemed that only "Giant Horn Viper Stir-Fried Noodles" was appropriate, and the Deliciousness Index of this dish was as high as ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡î, half a star higher than the Rou Jia Mo he made with Earth Dragon Meat, which was also from a 5-star ingredient.

    In addition, Ma Lu noticed something else and asked Old Wang, "Why do the recipes always seem to have a lower star level than the ingredients?"

    "It''s because the quality of the supplementary ingredients can''t keep up," Old Wang replied. "For an ingredient to unleash its full potential, the auxiliary ingredients that go into the pot with it also have to be of aparable level."

    "Hmm, but I thought the vegetables sold at the farmers'' market looked pretty fresh, though. If you want better quality vegetables, then you''d have to go to a specialty supermarket to buy those pesticide-free organic ones, right?"

    Ma Lu scratched his thigh, "But those organic vegetables are very expensive. I remember seeing a green onion selling for two bucks, which works out to be more expensive than ordinary pork, doesn''t it?"

    "We can also purchase from other dimensions," Old Wang said. "This is the eighth time you''ve used the Bug Egg, and one more use should unlock the New Route."

    "Oh, does that mean I could possibly go to a new universe the week after next?" Ma Lu''s interest was piqued.

    It was just in time that the desktop farm was in use. In the following week, Ma Lu could see its effect. If the breeding speed was fast enough, then he wouldn''t have to worry about meat anymore and would have time to explore other dimensions.

    ......

    Ever since Yu Yitong learned from a colleague how popr The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall was online, she had found quite a few short videos and even tuned into He Xiaoqian''s live broadcast to watch her dance for a while, her feelings growing increasinglyplex.

    Yu Yitong actually hoped that Ma Lu could fare better as well. Since the breakup was her initiative, if that guy ended up feeling dejected, falling into decline, Yu Yitong would feel guilty.

    However, seeing Ma Lu''s stall flourishing and remembering how he unted his new romance in front of her, Yu Yitong felt a gnawing sense of irritation.

    It''s just selling snacks well, what''s there to be so proud of.

    Okay, to be fair, bing this popr is pretty impressive.

    Although Ma Lu hadn''t disclosed his ounts publicly, estimating the daily ie of The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall wasn''t difficult considering the turnover and the pricing.

    In fact, many eagerizens were already helping Ma Lu crunch the numbers, but they all felt that The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall''s costs were not low, given the generous use of ingredients, otherwise it would not be possible to produce such good vors.

    Moreover, The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall was a two-person operation, so the earnings had to be split in half, yet even so, Ma Lu''s monthly ie from the stall was tens of thousands, far surpassing most office workers.

    Even if Yu Yitong was reluctant to admit it, she had to acknowledge that this guy indeed had the capital to show off, but wasn''t he afraid of divine retribution by being so arrogant?

    Feeling miserable, Yu Yitong took out her phone and sent a message to Xiao Ji

    ¡ª¡ªLet''s go out for a drink tonight.

    Xiao Ji was a roommate that Yu Yitong had shared an apartment with while studying abroad, and Yu Yitong had always thought Xiao Ji was pretty cool.

    No matter what happened, she always remained calm and hopeful about the future.

    Hermon mantra was ¡ª¡ª Don''t worry, everything will be better after a good sleep.

    ording to her, she had followed her boyfriend''s steps and came abroad for studies, only to find upon arriving that her boyfriend, who hade a year earlier, already had a new girlfriend with whom he had been living for three months.

    When Xiao Ji found out, she didn''t even get very angry. Instead, she buried herself in sleep for two days and then bounced back as if nothing had happened, continuing her studies as usual.

    In her words, she was here anyway, so why not just finish what she started?

    Perhaps it was this unique sense of rxation that attracted Yu Yitong to Xiao Ji, leading her to make her first friend in life.

    After returning to China, both of them happened to work in City B and still kept very close contact, sharing almost everything with each other.

    Soon, Xiao Ji''s reply came. It was very simple, just two words

    ¡ª¡ª Okay.

    After a pause, she sent another message.

    ¡ª¡ª Come to my ce. You bring the beer, I''ll cook.

    Yu Yitong typed a reply.

    ¡ª¡ª Okay.

    Putting down her phone, she felt somewhat better. Looking at He Xiaoqian, who was spinning on the screen, Yu Yitong''spetitive spirit began to stir again.

    Should she start an ount and do live streams too? No, that would be too silly.

    Or pretend to be a big shot, tip heavily in her live room, and then ask her out?

    No, it''s not right to harm the innocent, and spending so much money would be too painful... She should focus on the main culprit instead, striking at that guy''s arrogance.

    But no, she had clearly decided to have nothing to do with that name anymore.

    Yu Yitong pped her own cheek, forget it, let him off this time. Let''s just call it quits.

    After all, she had managed to buy the marinatedrge intestinesst time, sessfully striking back.

    Withdrawing after a single attack could also be a strategy, allowing the opponent''s subsequent build-up of offense to hit cotton.

    If she called a halt now, she would be the winner of this bout... well, probably.

 Chapter 135: Chapter 135 Interview

    Yu Yitong had already decided to quit while she was ahead.

    But unexpectedly, four dayster, Mike called her and Cindy over.

    "Your topic submittedst time has been approved."

    "Really?" Cindy said happily, "I was worried that the snack rmendations wouldn''t meet the requirements."

    "Yes, indeed, our main focus is on restaurant reviews, and unlike existingpetitors that rely on public ratings, we specialize in professional critiques that seek objectivity and fairness, avoiding the influence of fake reviews.

    "That''s precisely why the scores and rankings we provide are more referential for consumers. However, this doesn''t mean we don''t interact with our readers¡ªthemunity feature was officiallyunchedst month.

    "We also need more topics to enhance the vitality of themunity. The snack topic direction is good; although it''s a slight deviation from our main business, it''s more popr and likely to spark more discussion interest. You did well," Mike praised.

    "Oh, it''s nothing, it''s all thanks to your encouragement and Peter''s insightful guidance that I had such a trial," Cindy said modestly.

    "Skip the ttery; in the end, it''s the quality of the content produced that counts."

    Mike folded his hands, "Hmm... the format should primarily be interviews. Since it''s not a restaurant, we won''t do scoring and reviews, otherwise, if the scores are too unattractive, it wouldn''t be very interesting.

    "Oh right, you can choose the other snack stalls yourselves, but make sure to include that ''The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall'' which is very popr on the short video tformtely¡ªit will drive more traffic...

    "Since you proposed the topic, Cindy, you''re in charge. Serina will be your assistant. She has just joined thepany, so you''ll show her the ropes."

    "No problem," Cindy readily agreed, then turned to Yu Yitong.

    "Serina, you graduated from Aerospace University, right? ''The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall'' is also there, and I heard the owner is your alumnus; it seems like you two would have a lot to talk about, so the interview over there is up to you."

    "Ah?"

    As Yu Yitong listened to their conversation, she felt an ominous premonition rising within her, and it turned out to be true.

    Before she could refuse, Cindy went on, "I''ll send you the main questions in a bit, and you can improvise the rest. Oh right, remember to bring a camera and take lots of pictures of the food."

    "But I still have other tasks at hand," Yu Yitong finally found an opportunity to speak up, "Mike, you asked me to track the most popr posts and active IDs in themunity. I..."

    "It''s fine, that''s not urgent; you can put it aside," Mike said, "Focus on getting the interview done first."

    "But..."

    "This is a work assignment; there are no ''buts''..." Mike had already started looking at another document in his hands, "During your interview, didn''t you say you enjoy challenges and that you would strive to ovee any difficulty? Now it''s time to prove it to me."

    "Alright," Yu Yitong had nothing more to say.

    Once back at her desk, Cindy nced around to make sure no one was paying attention to them, then sidled over, conspiratorially lowering her voice.

    "Hey, did you have a fight with Mike?"

    "No," Yu Yitong frowned, "Why do you ask?"

    "It''s nothing, it''s nothing," Cindy said, shaking her head. But after a pause, she added quietly, "It just seemed like he was singling you out today; could it be because you didn''t join him for lunch the other day?"

    Seeing Yu Yitong''s expression change, Cindy hastily continued, "Or maybe I''m overthinking it. I''ve sent you the interview questions... ''The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall'' is counting on you now."

    Yu Yitong said, "Cindy, can we switch? You cover ''The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall'' and I''ll take the other snack stalls. You can give me more targets; I don''t mind the hard work."

    Cindy looked troubled, "If it were any other time, I''d switch with you, but you heard Mike; he''s already agreed that you''ll cover ''The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall''. If we change ns now, he would probably get even angrier. You''d better not upset him anymore."

    "I understand," Yu Yitong took a deep breath, as her sense of foreboding reached its peak.

    She already had a feeling this interview was going to be fraught with turmoil.

    Ma Lu was definitely not going to pass up the opportunity to strike back; for her, going there was like amb walking into the tiger''s mouth.

    But there was nothing she could do. As a worker, nobody could disobey the boss''s order unless they no longer wanted their job, not to mention that she had just joined thepany not long ago and had no say at all.

    The pressing matter at hand was how toe up with a way to get a certain individual to cooperate with her for the interview.

    Yu Yitong began massaging her temples again, something she had done this week as frequently as when she was working on her graduation project.

    And now, she felt that even the graduation project was a little easier to deal with.

    Yu Yitong thought the whole afternoon and evening withouting up with any countermeasures, and by noon the next day, Cindy had urged her again.

    It was then that Yu Yitong finally picked up her camera and voice recorder, walking with the heavy steps of someone headed to the execution ground, towards the subway station.

    She waited for two trains to pass before boarding one, and even then, she lingered for more than ten minutes after getting off, almost dying until the end of the workday before she reluctantly scanned her card to exit the turnstiles.

    Afterward, she took a deep breath and strode towards Aerospace University.

    At that moment, Ma Lu''s heart waspletely invested in the desktop farm.

    It was his first time using this High-Dimensional Artifact, and he found it extremely novel and was filled with anticipation.

    Every ten minutes or so, he would want to see how the animals in the desktop farm had grown, how many pounds of meat they had gained, wishing he could install a camera at home to monitor the situation in the tank at all times.

    Acting on the thought, Ma Lu immediately pulled out his phone and ordered a high-definition camera.

    But when he raised his head again, he saw a familiar figure standing across the road.

    "You''ve been graduated for a year now, so why do you keep running to the school every day? Is your job that leisurely?"

    Yu Yitong sniffled, "That... I came to see you this time for some official business."

    "What official business?"

    "To discuss a coboration," Yu Yitong forced herself to forget about her rtionship with the person and entered work mode, as she tried to speak in as calm a voice as possible.

    "You know, I now work for the US Review website. I can write an article for you to make your snack stall even more famous and the business even more prosperous."

    "No need," Ma Lu tly refused.

    "Don''t be so stubborn, it''s to your advantage too," she said.

    "Who says? My current customer flow is already enough. There''s a limit to how much food I can prepare each day; more people won''t make me more money," Ma Lu said, hands on his hips.

    "But you can also think about the future... n a little bit more."

    "The future, huh? Let me think, oh... sorry, someone said I don''t make ns for the future."

    Inside, Yu Yitong continuously reminded herself not to get angry, absolutely not let this guy get the best of her, or else it would just make him even more smug.

    After a moment, she spoke again, "Can''t we... negotiate a bit?"

    "Nope," he replied.

    "Fine then," Yu Yitong turned her head and walked towards the subway station, but after less than ten meters, she stopped, turned around, and quickly returned.

    "What exactly do I have to do for you to agree to the interview?"

    "Ha, it seems this interview is really important to you, huh?"

    Ma Lu''s face showed a yful smile upon hearing her words.

 Chapter 136: Chapter 136 Apology

    "How about starting with an apology?"

    "What?"

    "An apology," Ma Lu said, taking a bottle of c out of the chilled box.

    "Why should I apologize... It was you who started it," Yu Yitong said discontentedly, "Hmm,st time I was wrong, I shouldn''t have had Mike buy the braisedrge intestines from you and then show it off in the car, but that was because you wouldn''t sell them to me before, and I did it out of anger..."

    "No, I''m not talking aboutst time," Ma Lu interrupted Yu Yitong.

    "You left ament on my Steam ount''s activity feed saying you wanted to break up with me, I replied to you saying we should discuss it face to face, you could choose the ce and time, but then you stood me up after choosing... And by the way, what kind of weirdo breaks up with someone over Steam?"

    "It was my first time, I didn''t have any experience," Yu Yitong muttered, "and that day I just happened to run into some trouble."

    "Oh really, what could be more important than breaking up?" Ma Lu opened the c and took a sip, "Let''s hear it."

    "......"

    "Forget it, if you don''t want to apologize then just move aside, don''t dy my business."

    Ma Lu put down his c, "Next."

    "No, wait." Yu Yitong took a deep breath, adjusted her emotions, and quickly said.

    "I''m sorry, is that okay now, can we talk about serious matters next?"

    "What, what did you just say? You spoke too softly, I didn''t hear you." Ma Lu dug at his ear.

    "Heh, you''re totally taking this opportunity to settle personal grievances!" Yu Yitong''s face changed slightly.

    "That''s right," Ma Lu admitted very straightforwardly.

    "Don''t get me wrong, I have no feelings for you now at all, but the things of the past still bother me a lot. I''m fine with talking business, but it''s always been my principle not to work with enemies.

    "You''re talking nonsense, when did you have that principle?" Yu Yitong said angrily.

    "Just now, I added it especially for you," Ma Lu said, taking another sip of his c.

    "And for an interview, you first have to find a way to cheer up the interviewee, so they are willing to cooperate, and answer your questions as earnestly as possible... You''re a journalism graduate, you don''t need me to teach you that."

    Ma Lu intended to make Yu Yitong give up by saying this, no one knew her character better than him, this woman was stubborn to the core, getting her to bow and scrape was even more difficult than stopping the Russia-Ukraine war.

    So after saying his piece, Ma Lu didn''t pay attention to Yu Yitong anymore and turned his head to continue selling his Giant Horn Viper stir-fried noodles.

    But what Ma Lu didn''t expect was that after standing there for two minutes, Yu Yitong didn''t leave but spoke up again.

    "I''m sorry, I was wrong about what happened before... I shouldn''t have stood you up because I didn''t know how to face you, and of course, the most important reason was that I was worried I''d be persuaded by you.

    "I was too panicked at that time, and as a result, I chose the worst way to handle it, which made our rtionshippletely deteriorate.

    "By the time I realized it was toote, and then I was afraid of being scolded by you, so I just deleted all your contact information. But that only caused you deeper harm.  You''re right, I do owe you an apology."

    After saying this, Yu Yitong also bowed to Ma Lu.

    Ma Lu was surprised and stroked his chin, "Honestly, I still prefer your defiant self from before."

    Upon hearing this, Yu Yitong maintained her bow, not picking up the conversation.

    "Although I know you''re just saying that for the interview, fine, I''ll grudgingly ept your apology."

    Yu Yitong waited a while longer before looking up again.

    Ma Lu noticed her eyes were a bit red, "Your eyes."

    "It''s nothing, just got some sand in them." Yu Yitong sniffed, downying it, "Can we talk about the interview now?"

    "Sure, but as I''ve said before, epting your interview doesn''t seem to offer any benefit to me and my snack stall." Ma Lu continued drinking his Coke.

    "What kind of benefit would you like?"

    "Let me think, a direct transfer would be most convenient, how about 2000 per session, you can apply with your boss."

    "We don''t have that kind of budget, and even if I applied, it wouldn''t be approved."

    "Without money, it''s difficult for me too, how about we manipte things a bit, boost my ranking, you''re a food critique tform, aren''t you?"

    "We indeed do food critiques, but there is a strict scoring process in ce, we can''t just arbitrarily raise or lower someone''s rankings, and besides, our scores are for restaurants, and this is just a snack stall."

    "Who says that, I''m about to open a restaurant soon, I have already chosen the location, the rent is paid, now it''s just renovation and licensing underway, and I will be open for business soon." said Ma Lu.

    "You''re opening a restaurant?" Yu Yitong was taken aback upon hearing this.

    "I can''t be selling snacks outside the school gate forever, can I?" Ma Lu continued drinking his Coke.

    "Congrattions, but we can''t just alter the scores, it would ruin our credibility, and then the users wouldn''t trust us anymore," Yu Yitong said.

    "Ah, what a hassle," Ma Lu frowned, "then how about you advertise my new ce, tell your readers about me opening a new ce and the address."

    Yu Yitong thought for a moment, "Although the website has ad spaces, they are quite expensive, but if it''s just to mention about opening a new ce and its location, I think I can add that in at the end."

    "Is that so... All right then," Ma Lu finally relented, "ask whatever you want for the interview, but if it rtes to our trade secrets, I won''t tell."

    "Of course, if there''s a question you''d rather not answer, you can skip it," Yu Yitong also breathed a sigh of relief, taking out her recording pen and notebook.

    The whole interviewsted nearly an hour, mainly because Ma Lu had to serve customers and could only take a moment to answer Yu Yitong''s questions when he was free.

    Yu Yitong had only seen The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall''s poprity in short videos on tforms before, but this close-up observation truly shocked her.

    Stir-fried noodles for 36 yuan a serving seemed absurd no matter how you looked at it.

    Yet people were buying, and more than half of those who ate chose to buy another serving to take away.

    The repeat purchase rate was rmingly high.

    Although there were many studentsining about the high prices, after tasting the food, without exception, they all shut their mouths.

    The business at The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall was unimaginably booming; Ma Lu had prepared 600 servings of stir-fried noodles, and by dusk, he had sold down to double digits.

    The crowd in front of the snack stall kept growing, and Yu Yitong heard that someone hadzily left home at noon and, surprisingly, many diners preferred to wait here hungry rather than eat elsewhere.

    There were people who drove over from the suburbs just to eat, and some wealthy individuals bought 30 servings in one go, iming they had many mouths to feed at home, and any leftovers would be frozen in the fridge.

    The sights before herpletely overturned Yu Yitong''s perceptions of street stalls, and she could finally understand why Ma Lu had not been overly concerned about the interview before.

 Chapter 137 Hutong

    Yu Yitong conducted the interview while not forgetting to take photos.

    Aside from taking dozens of close-up shots of the freshly cooked stir-fried noodles, she also captured candid pictures of Ma Lu and Old Wang at work, as well as the satisfied expressions of customers as they tasted the noodles.

    Yu Yitong could tell that their smiles were genuine, the kind that only emerge when truly savoring delicious food.

    She pressed the shutter, capturing this joy.

    When there were only 20 servings of stir-fried noodles left, Ma Lu counted the number of people in line and put out a "Sold Out" sign made from a cardboard box at the end of the queue.

    By then, Yu Yitong hadpleted her interview and photography, put the lens cap back on, and stowed her recorder and notebook in the backpack behind her.

    "Are you leaving?" asked Ma Lu.

    "Yeah," Yu Yitong nodded, "Thank you for agreeing to the interview. There''s a lot of information to sort through, I''ll need to organize it carefully when I get back. I''ll also send you a copy of the finished article."

    "No problem, we''re just cooperating with each other," Ma Lu thought for a moment, then had Old Wang make another serving of stir-fried noodles, packed it up, and handed it to Yu Yitong.

    "It''s mealtime now. This is for you to take back and eat."

    "No, no need, thank you. I''ve been on a diet recently and don''t eat much carbs in the evening," Yu Yitong quickly declined with a wave of her hand.

    Ma Lu didn''t take it back, "Since you''re nning to write about my snack stall and you took so many photos this afternoon, don''t you want to try the taste for yourself?"

    "Uh... I''ve tried your braisedrge intestines before, have you forgotten? The taste was... very good," Yu Yitong said, "Yeah, it was delicious."

    "Really, delicious in what way? Tell me about it," Ma Lu raised an eyebrow.

    "Aren''t you a food critic? You should be able to describe it in more detail."

    "Well, our department mainly deals with content... As for the food observers you mentioned, they''re in a different department," Yu Yitong vaguely exined.

    "Oh, is that so."

    "That''s the situation. In a bigpany, positions are finely divided to facilitate KPI evaluations. Everyone only does a part of the work."

    Yu Yitong didn''t know what she was exining, but afterwards, she still took the stir-fried noodles.

    "But you''re right, I haven''t tried your new stir-fried noodles yet. They look very appetizing."

    Thest sentence was truly heartfelt from Yu Yitong; although she hadn''t tasted The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall''s stir-fried noodles, over the past hour, she had seen many people wearing radiant smiles after eating the noodles, indicating the vor must be excellent.

    "Our stir-fried noodles are the best in the universe," Ma Lu stated with undeniable certainty.

    Although Yu Yitong did not agree with this statement, perhaps because Ma Lu was willing topromise and ept the interview, she unprecedentedly didn''t argue with him.

    "Anyway, thank you for the stir-fried noodles."

    Yu Yitong said goodbye to Ma Lu, then also greeted Old Wang.

    "Isn''t your boyfriending to pick you up?" Ma Lu asked as he saw her put on her backpack.

    "He... he''s quite busy with work today. I''ll just take the subway back," Yu Yitong replied, her gaze unintentionally sweeping over He Xiaoqian not far away, "Then, I won''t disturb you any longer."

    Although she said so, after leaving Aerospace University, Yu Yitong didn''t head to the subway station. She had reported a field assignment at herpany and didn''t need to go back to clock in, but it seemed a bit early to go home now.

    The main thing was that Yu Yitong didn''t know what to do once she got back.

    So she just wandered aimlessly along the road, asionally lifting her camera to capture interesting moments.

    She had always enjoyed wandering aimlessly through the city like this during her school days, and after she got into a rtionship, it became the two of them hanging out together.

    It was a poor college student''s cheap joy.

    Yu Yitong especially liked those little alleys. They twisted and turned, much like smallbyrinths, isting those within from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

    It was like a worldly wander that let one temporarily forget the troubles of real life.

    In spring, one could see the branches of crabapple and lc trees stretching out from the courtyard, and with a bit of luck, encounter peach and apricot trees by the roadside.

    At such times, Yu Yitong would stop in her tracks, fiddle with her old camera, and look for the perfect angle to take a photo, while Ma Lu would excitedly tell her about thetest urban legends he had heard.

    Due to the absurd nature of these stories, Yu Yitong sometimes doubted whether they were simply concocted by someone''s wild imagination.

    And sometimes, when Yu Yitong was so focused on taking pictures that when she turned around, the source of the constant noise that had been ringing in her ears would be gone.

    But all she had to do was walk a few more steps forward and she would find that familiar figure squatting at the next corner, ying with a stray kitten or puppy that had appeared out of nowhere.

    Yu Yitong had counted before, ten steps¡­ at most ten steps, and she would always see him.

    That feeling... it was probably what one would call reassurance.

    But now, when Yu Yitong walked into the alley again, no one was waiting for her anymore.

    As the sun was about to set, Yu Yitong felt tired from walking and her stomach was growling.

    So she found an empty stone bench to sit down on, packed away her camera, and took out the fried noodles she had bought.

    Because they had been sitting for a while, the stic container had cooled down, but the color of the fried noodles inside was still very tempting.

    Yu Yitong stirred the noodles with a disposable chopstick and discovered onions, green bean sprouts, shredded carrots, other greens, and egg.

    It looked much like the fried noodles from other street stalls, but those vegetarian noodle dishes normally cost only 10, maybe 12 yuan per portion, and the quantity was much more than what was offered at The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall.

    Just by appearance, it was hard to understand why these fried noodles could be sold for 36 yuan per portion.

    It could only mean there were still too many rich people in the city.

    Yu Yitong picked up a strand of noodle with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, and then her expression changed instantly.

    Such a rich meaty vor! Was it made with meat juice?!

    No, that wasn''t right, simple meat juice couldn''t achieve such a savory taste, and not even the hand-pulled noodles from Shanxi could produce such firm and springy texture.

    Almost fooled, this was not even noodles, but meat! Noodles made of meat!!!

    There might have been some cornstarch mixed in, but only a small amount, just to help it hold shape, the bulk of it was meat.

    This was essentially a meat stir-fry in the guise of vegetarian noodles.

    Yu Yitong remembered a specialty food called "fish noodles" from her hometown.

    It involved skinning and deboning fresh fish, scraping out the flesh, mixing it with starch and salt to form a dough, and then shaping it into noodles, resulting in an incredibly delicate taste.

    But fish noodles usually have a slight fishy taste. In contrast, The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall''s fried noodles had only freshness, and even though they had cooled down somewhat, Yu Yitong couldn''t detect any off-vors.

    With just one bite, her taste buds were dominated by an assertive freshness as the strands of noodles seemed to transform into massive pythons, mercilessly attacking her, coiling tightly around her body.

    Yu Yitong unconsciously tensed her calves, but that wasn''t the end of it; as she picked up a mouthful of bean sprouts and bit down, the fresh taste between her lips and teeth became even more intense!

    Impossible, how could vegetables also be soaked with freshness?!

    Yu Yitong felt there was no escape.

    She tried hard to recall, and finally she remembered a gesture Old Wang had made while frying the noodles¡ªhe seemed to have scooped something from a jar into the wok.

    Yu Yitong had initially thought it was just ordinary water, but now, it was clear that it was not.

    It was broth, most likely made from roasted bones, which would exin the intense meaty vor.

    Yu Yitong closed her eyes, and involuntarily, the words that man had once said echoed in her ears again.

    "Our fried noodles are the best in this universe."

    Although she didn''t want to admit it, Yu Yitong realized that what he said might actually be true.

 Chapter 138 Stop Guessing Blindly

    After packing up his stall, Ma Lu went over to the restaurant to check on the renovation progress and handed out cigarettes to the workers.

    Since his requirements were rtively simple and the foundation of the hotpot restaurant was already decent, the renovation process was quick. In two more days, once the venttion and exhaust system waspleted, the major part of the hard decorations would be done.

    Ma Lu had already ordered most of the soft furnishings like tables, chairs, and light fixtures from the seafood market. What remained was mainly the design and production of the storefront sign and the purchase of kitchen equipment.

    Especially with the kitchen equipment, Ma Lu nned to ask Old Wang''s opinion since it was Old Wang''s domain.

    Lately he also went up to the second floor; the putty had been sanded down and left to set for two days, and tomorrow they could start painting.

    Latex paint generally needed three coats, which would also take about 3 to 4 days. In the meantime, they could also handle the waterproofing of the window sills.

    After discussing with the foreman, Old He, the minor defects that needed revising, Ma Lu finally ended a day of running around and rode the tricycle back to his rented apartmentplex.

    However, he couldn''t go upstairs to rest immediately; he asked Old Wang to make a bowl of fried noodles with thest of the ingredients.

    Carrying the lunch box, Ma Lu walked into the inte caf¨¦ across the street.

    Zhen Ye''s sleeping schedule was erratic, sometimes sleeping at night, sometimes during the day, and she could stay up through the night when the few games she yed had important events or major updates.

    Ma Lu was in luck today; when he arrived, Zhen Ye was still awake.

    In the private booth, the girl sat on her knees in the gaming chair, wearing headphones, focused and gripping the mouse, engrossed in her game.

    Ma Lu didn''t disturb her and stood behind her with the food container.

    The character controlled by Zhen Ye was apparently on a farm,holding an AWM sniper rifle; she moved the mouse periodically, rotating the camera.

    She quickly spotted a target, right-clicked to scope in, locked onto the target, and then with a gentle left-click,pleted the kill.

    The whole process was done in one fluid second.

    But then a burst of blood suddenly exploded from Zhen Ye''s character. In the face of danger, she didn''t panic and controlled her character to execute evasive snake-like moves. She quickly scanned the area with a wide camera swing and identified the assant by the barn.

    This time her actions were even faster, just a quick scope-in and a nce before firing again.

    Boom! A headshot!

    The number of remaining yers in the top left changed to 2, meaning that besides Zhen Ye, there was only one other yer left in the game.

    Zhen Ye''s character was low on health, but her demeanor remained rxed, even taking the time to take a sip from the bottle of mineral water on the desk.

    Then she continued to move the mouse around. Before Ma Lu could see anything, Zhen Ye had already scoped in again and pulled the trigger.

    A line of text appeared at the bottom of the screen

    ¡ª¡ªYou eliminated "Invincible Grandpa" with a headshot from the AWM sniper rifle (191m).

    Only when the target''s head burst into blood did Ma Lu realize that the guy was actually hiding in a wheat field.

    As the game ended, Zhen Ye also took off her headphones and said, "Hungry..."

    "Oh, here, eat up. It''s just been made," Ma Lu said, cing the bowl of fried noodles in front of Zhen Ye.

    Zhen Ye immediately lifted the lid and broke apart the disposable chopsticks, burying her head in the bowl and eating voraciously.

    "Tasty."

    "Right? Old Wang''s fried noodles are the best in the universe."

    "Mmm. Fried noodles¡­ Awesome!" Zhen Ye didn''t doubt it for a second.

    It took her less than three minutes to devour the noodles in the bowl as if a gust of wind had swept through, even the carrot shreds she previously disliked were eaten clean.

    After putting down the bowl, Zhen Ye brought up past events and started typing on her phone.

    ¡ª¡ªLet''s y games together.

    "Ah, I''m not particrly talented in shooting."

    ¡ª¡ªHave you yed shooting games before?

    "I''ve never yed shooting games, but I''ve tried shooting, both hand crossbows and handguns, and I''m just a bit below average," Ma Lu paused, then added, "But I''ve seen you y and you''re quite good. Have you had any special training in this area?"

    Zhen Ye shook his head, "ying... a lot, you get better."

    "Then you must be quite good at games."

    "I can teach... you."

    "I''ll wait until I''m less busy," Ma Lu said, "Then I can y a couple of rounds with you, as long as you don''t mind me holding you back."

    After a brief chat with Zhen Ye, Ma Lu was ready to head home to sleep.

    This trip to Different Dimension was the most exhausting one he had ever had; he fought from the beginning to the end, with a pace even tighter than that of ''Wandering Earth.''

    Ma Lu was already yawning with fatigue, but as he approached the cafe''s entrance, the cafe owner called out to him.

    "young man, how did it go, doesn''t your girlfriend want to go home with you?"

    "Huh?"

    "Look at you, leaving your girlfriend to sleep in the cafe like this. Listen to your elder sister''s advice, regardless of who''s right or wrong, you should apologize to her first, coax her, and take her home."

    "Oh, you misunderstand, she''s not my girlfriend."

    "Not your girlfriend?" The cafe owner scrutinized Ma Lu up and down, "Then what''s your rtionship?"

    "Landlord and tenant."

    "You kicked the girl out?" The cafe owner''s eyes widened.

    "She is thendlord, I''m the tenant."

    The cafe owner''s mind was struggling to follow.

    "You don''t have to guess wildly. Our living space¡ªno, her living space and my shop¡ªare under renovation. She didn''t want to rent another ce to stay, so she temporarily decided to stay in the cafe."

    "Then why do youe over every day and even bring food for her?" The cafe owner was skeptical.

    "Hmm... maybe because I''m handsome and just happen to be kind-hearted?" Seeing the cafe owner hesitate, Ma Lu added, "Is there something else?"

    "Are you really not her boyfriend? Yesterday, she came out to buy red tea, and there were a few young guys crowding around her, asking for her phone number.

    "I know those guys, none of them are decent characters; they''ve fought in my cafe before, and I think one even got detained for half a month."

    Ma Lu raised his eyebrows, "Really?" He looked toward the surfing area, "Which ones?"

    "Those guys left half an hour ago, said they were going to sing karaoke. By the way, today someone was lurking outside your girlfriend''s private room; luckily I have cameras. You''d better tell your girlfriend to not just wander out of the cafe willy-nilly."

    "It''s thendlord," Ma Lu corrected, "But thanks, big sister. By the way, will those guyse back tomorrow?"

    "They probably will. They''ve beening almost every day recently to hang out for a while."

    "Oh, I understand." Ma Lu nodded.

    "Still saying you''re not boyfriend and girlfriend," the cafe owner muttered, "Just don''t be impulsive, young man. A wise man does not eat the loss in front of him¡ªin case it really isn''t manageable, just take your girlfriend and change ces."

    "Yeah, yeah, of course." Ma Lu smiled, "Thanks for the reminder. Here''s my mobile number; if those guys really return tomorrow, could you send me a message? I''lle and take myndlord away."

 Chapter 139 The Call of the Wild

    Ma Lu got home at 9 PM and then slept straight through until 9 AM the next morning. When he got up, his head still felt a bit groggy.

    He remembered when he first started university, he and his dorm mates would stay up all night watching movies at the cinema, and the next day they''d still manage to run back to school to check in. Just an afternoon nap was enough, and by evening, they would be full of vigor again.

    He had thought that was just the beginning, but it turned out to be the peak. After that, his physical condition declined year by year, and by the time he graduated, even a small stretch of staying up could take a whole day to recover from.

    He really needed to exercise more.

    The rowing machine had arrived, and Ma Lu had followed the video tutorials for two days, and then... the novelty started to wear off quickly, and the pain set in.

    Although his rational mind told him he should start exercising now, Ma Lu decided to water the nts first.

    The spider nt he''d brought home had been growing for over two months now. Ma Lu hadn''t really taken much care of it, only watering it when he remembered, but surprisingly, it was thriving; even the previously yellowing leaves had turned green.

    After watering the nt, he checked the desktop farm.

    A day had passed, and the total weight of the farm had increased from 203 to 214. It was clear that thebination of alien technology and Beast Herding Frogs was quite fierce.

    In just 24 hours, the weight had increased by 5%. Ma Lu did a quick calction: if he filled the Level 1 desktop farm to its capacity, he could gain an additional 100 pounds of meat a day, which would amount to 700 pounds a week.

    That was as much as he could bring back with a Level 4 Collection Bag. The key point was that the meat from the farm was essentially free; he didn''t have to go out hunting anymore.

    Moreover, if the animals in the farm could breed, the yield should increase even more than 5%.

    This was just one ecosystem from the desert. Once he filled the other ecosystems and upgraded the farm''s level, he could be a hands-off ownerter on.

    While Ma Lu was figuring out what level of farm would make him self-sufficient, he received a message from the inte caf¨¦ owner.

    She said those young guys hade back and asked Ma Lu to pick up Zhen Ye.

    Great, that was enough exercise for today. He would row again tomorrow.

    It wasn''t that he was beingzy; it was just that there were more pressing matters at hand. Ma Lu stood up and poked his head into the kitchen to ask Old Wang, who was preparing a meal, "How are you in a fight?"

    "I''m a pacifist. I don''t fight," Old Wang answered seriously.

    "Alright, I almost forgot. Nevermind then, I''ll find someone else."

    Ma Lu took out his phone, scrolled through the contact list, and dialed a number.

    "Hello, Boss Yan? It''s me, Ma Lu. I remember you offer a home service. Are you avable right now? The faucet in my kitchen isn''t running very smoothly...

    "Mhm, mhm, I don''t know how long it''s been used since I''m just a tenant... but it must be quite old... Yeah, alright, I''ll wait for you."

    About twenty minutes after hanging up, Yan Wu''s van arrived downstairs, and soon after, the Werewolf Boss came upstairs carrying his tool bag.

    Upon entering, he took a couple of sniffs, "Seven-Toothed Giant Horn Viper? You guys have got some good stuff again."

    "Do you want to eat?"

    "Let''s finish the job first."

    Yan Wu strode into the kitchen and began inspecting the faucet.

    "How is it, do we need a new one?" Ma Lu asked from the side.

    "No need. The aerator is clogged. The water in the north is hard, so it tends to build up lime scale and block the aerator," Yan Wu exined while unscrewing a metal spout at the bottom of the faucet.

    He turned on the faucet to test it and, sure enough, the water flow increased significantly.

    Yan Wu rinsed off the aerator, then stuck his fingers in to poke around a bit, and screwed it back on.

    "There, that should do it. If it clogs up again, just clean it like I showed you. If you want it even cleaner, you can soak it in citric acid."

    "Thanks, how much do I owe you?"

    "Since we didn''t rece any pipes, I''ll just charge you a 50 yuan home visit fee."

    Although this werewolf was a bit pushy when it came to food, I have to say he''s quite fair with hardware repairs¡ªcharging exactly what''s due and not a penny more or less.

    Having lived on this for over two thousand years, Ma Lu reckoned this guy wasn''t short on cash. Never mind anything else, if he had just buried some porcin or gold and silverware back in the day, digging those up now would yield national treasures.

    Worstes to worst, he probably knew where a fair number of emperor and noble tombs were buried. If he switched trades to treasure hunting, Hu Ba Yi and Wu Xie would be out of business.

    So Ma Lu could only understand his earnest sale of screw caps and collection of a 50 yuan service fee as some sort of novel role-y.

    Or perhaps the werewolf was truly cultivating his so-called "Craft Trade Way" through this method.

    Though Ma Lu was quite skeptical whether such a trifling thing actually existed.

    The ultimate goal of Zen is enlightenment, of the Daoist practice is to be an immortal; Ma Lu knew about these, but what''s the ultimate goal of hardware practice? Be a doorknob or a U-lock?

    By now, Yan Wu had already plopped down on the sofa, waiting for dinner.

    In the meantime, he scanned Ma Lu''s rental apartment, his gaze lingering on the number 6 on the balcony for a moment.

    Ma Lu thought he might have noticed something, but Yan Wu just remarked, "You''ve got such an old model still, huh? I used to have a washing machine of this brand. I was one of their first customers."

    After saying this, his gaze moved elsewhere, looking around curiously.

    "Where''s your tabletop farm, have you put it in the restaurant already?"

    "I''ve moved it into the Mirror Space."

    Ma Lu didn''t want the werewolf to know the tabletop farm was fixed; he was counting on leeching off Yan Wu in the future, so he had stored it away early on.

    Old Wang had finished making the Giant Horn Viper stir-fried noodles, and this time, it even triggered a 50% star upgrade effect, turning into a four-star Deliciousness Index dish.

    Yan Wu ate nodding repeatedly, "Not bad, not bad, just the vor I haven''t tasted for over two thousand years. The snake bones of the Seven-Toothed Giant Horn Viper are also perfect for making stock."

    "I''m d you like it, Boss Yan."

    After finishing his meal, Yan Wu wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, then looked at Ma Lu with a smirk.

    "So, tell me, what do you need my help with?"

    "Seems like Boss Yan''s not just sharp with his nose," Ma Lumended.

    "After so many deals we''ve done, if I didn''t know what kind of person you are, crafty as hell, would you have invited me to eat if you didn''t have anything up your sleeve?"

    While saying this, Yan Wu wasn''t actually put off by Ma Lu''s approach. It actually touches on an issue of order: if Ma Lu had asked for a favor first and then offered food, Yan Wu would feel like he was being bribed with food and might agree but would probably be somewhat disgruntled.

    On the other hand, if Ma Lu waited until after Yan Wu had eaten to ask for a favor, it implied that regardless of whether Yan Wu was willing to help, it wouldn''t affect the meal, which put Yan Wu at ease.

    However, Ma Lu''s next words caught him off guard.

    "Um... would you be interested in unleashing your wild side again?"

 Chapter 140 No Running Away

    Dragon Totem Inte Cafe. Four young men were surrounding the doorway of a private booth.

    One of them, wearing a ski cap, knocked on the door and said, "Come out, little sister, let''s y games together."

    "Yeah, it''s more fun to y with everyone," one of hispanions chimed in.

    Another with a buzz cut mimicked Zhen Ye''s dyed manner of speaking, "Don''t you like... ying chicken? Perfect to join us for... chicken."

    Their words ignited another bout ofughter among the group.

    The inte cafe owner had alreadye over to persuade them twice, but the four young men refused to leave, warning her to not meddle in their business.

    All she could do now was to keep an eye on the situation and be ready to call the police as soon as something was off.

    At the same time, she sent Ma Lu two more messages, urging him to hurry up and pick up his girlfriend.

    This time, however, Ma Lu didn''t reply promptly.

    Just as the owner was about to pick up her phone to prod him again, the door was pushed open, and Ma Lu walked in from outside.

    "Oh, you''ve finally arrived," the owner said with a tinge of reproach, "I told you to pick up your girlfriendst night, but you wouldn''t listen, always hoping for the best. And look, they came again today."

    Ma Lu, however, seemed not the least bit anxious and even responded cheerfully, "Thanks so much, where is she?"

    "Over by the booth."

    "Oh, okay, and grab me two bottles of Hans''s Cabin, how much?" Ma Lu pulled out Alipay to scan the code.

    "You''re in the mood for drinks?" the owner widened her eyes in disbelief, "You better focus on how to take your girlfriend home."

    "No problem, not in a hurry, I''ll just let my friend have a chat with them first," Ma Lu said as he took the Cabin.

    The owner had already noticed the hulking man behind Ma Lu, primarily because Yan Wu''s presence was too imposing to ignore.

    Standing over 1.9 meters tall, with a physique as robust as theye, thick stubble, blue overalls, andrge sunsses, his entire being exuded a powerful aura of male hormones.

    Even the owner''s long-dormant heart couldn''t help but skip a beat, cursing the damn allure of a mature man.

    Still, she remembered to warn them, "Don''t you guys start a fight here, okay?"

    "Don''t worry, we are allw-abiding citizens, we willmunicate nicely with them," Ma Lu assured her, patting his chest.

    Yan Wu, however, was already getting impatient and strode towards the booth.

    When he reached the four young men, he spoke directly, "Get lost!"

    The four youths probably didn''t expect anyone to dare speak to them like that in this territory and were momentarily stunned.

    "My friend here... well, he''s quite direct in hismunication," Ma Lu said, pacifying the owner who covered her mouth with her hand.

    By then, the four youngsters snapped out of their daze. The buzz-cut one immediately spewed profanities, "Your mother''s a ****, where did this idiot ****e from?"

    After he spoke, he even pushed Yan Wu''s chest, only to see Yan Wu stand unflinching while the buzz-cut guy stumbled backward two steps and fell on his butt.

    His threepanions were not pleased, hurling varieties of foulnguage at Yan Wu as if it cost them nothing.

    The youngest among them, a jacket-d teenager who appeared only sixteen or seventeen, was the most impulsive, grabbing a folding chair and smashing it towards Yan Wu''s back.

    A loud ng resounded as the folding chair first struck one of Yan Wu''s arms and then bounced back, hitting the young man on the forehead.

    Yan Wu didn''t move an inch, but it was the youngster who dropped the chair and clutched his head.

    Seeing this, Ma Lu coughed twice to remind them, "Don''t start a fight here."

    The proprietress thought Ma Lu was trying to break up the fight, but Yan Wu understood that the emphasis was on "here."

    So he turned and walked towards the exit of the inte caf¨¦. Those four youngsters, having seen that their attack didn''t hurt Yan Wu, were feeling a bit guilty, but then they got excited again when they saw Yan Wu turning to "flee."

    They shouted, "Damn it, don''t run if you dare! Watch how I''m going to kill you!" while they chased after him outside.

    Ma Lu didn''t rush to follow but first asked the proprietress, "How much for the chair?"

    The proprietress, looking worried, said, "Oh, an old chair isn''t worth much anyway; forget it, you''d better go help your friend first."

    "Alright then, I''ll have them pay for it," Ma Lu said, taking two bottles of soda and heading out the door.

    He looked around downstairs but didn''t see Yan Wu or the group of youngsters until he heard swearinging from the alley next door, and he headed over.

    There he saw Yan Wu confronting the four young men, one of whom had managed to find a fire extinguisher and was brandishing it menacingly.

    However, Yan Wu just stood there, expressionless, watching them.

    The four youngsters exchanged nces, seemingly trying to psych themselves up, and charged at him shouting, aiming to pummel the old master with a flurry of wild punches.

    But Yan Wu, using only his left hand, beat them until they were scattered all over the ground, and finally, he grabbed the head of the one with the short hair using hisrge palm, lifting him off the ground like a chicken.

    The youngster with the t-top struggled violently, kicking in the air, shrieking hehehe, and tried to smash the fire extinguisher against Yan Wu''s arm, but thetter remained unmoved, scoffing.

    "Come on, put some effort into it. Did you forget to breastfeed from your mom before you left the house?"

    With that, Yan Wu casually threw him twenty meters away, and if Ma Lu hadn''t stepped in just in time, the young man would have rolled into the road.

    The remaining three, witnessing this terrifying scene, lost all will to fight and thought only of running away.

    But they were stopped again by Yan Wu, "Don''t run! Whoever runs, I''ll break their legs!"

    At his words, the three of them froze as if they had hit the pause button, petrified in ce.

    The young man with the ski hat looked like he was about to cry, "What... what are you going to do? I''m telling you, we''re in a society governed by the rule ofw now. Fighting will get you jailed!"

    No sooner had he finished his sentence when his twopanions echoed in agreement, "That''s right, that''s right, fighting is bad, we shouldn''t fight."

    The youngest of them, the boy in the jacket who was the most hot-headed, added, "The teacher said, you should be rational when you encounter issues, think of your family and friends, your life is still long, don''t live a life of regret because of a moment of impulsiveness."

    These words managed to amuse Ma Lu.

    Yan Wu then threw the tool bag he was carrying on his right shoulder onto the ground, speaking gravely, "Pick one."

    "What?"

    "Pick one to use as a weapon. If you can make me move even slightly, I''ll let you go."

    The three looked at each other, and it was the youngest boy in the jacket who had the biggest guts, and he stepped forward to open the bag.

    Seeing inside were wrenches, screwdrivers, impact drills... there was even a handsaw, he was taken aback.

    "This... this isn''t a good idea," said one of the young men with an Iverson-style "loyalty" tattoo on his arm, swallowing hard.

    "Quit your yapping, I''m in a hurry!" Yan Wu said coldly.

 Chapter 141 Promising Growth

    The tattooed youth chose a wrench, while the youngest boy picked up the handsaw, and finally, the one in the ski hat hesitantly grabbed a screwdriver.

    With weapons in hand, their fear was considerably reduced.

    However, when their gaze shifted to the hardware store owner, their calves couldn''t help but tremble uncontrobly.

    Yan Wu urged, "What are you standing there for? Get moving and do it!"

    But upon hearing thismand, the one with the ski hat''s hand trembled, and the screwdriver dropped to the ground. Yan Wu frowned at this sight, but fortunately, the other two didn''t falter and were already charging forward.

    The hardware store owner swung a backhand p, sending the boy with the saw flying, then snatched the wrench from the tattooed youth with two fingers and, right in front of him, bent it into a twisted shape.

    He then pped the tattooed youth, knocking out two of his teeth, and swelling up half of his face.

    The one in the ski hat had just picked up the screwdriver from the ground when he saw what was happening and immediately knelt down, bursting into tears, "Great man, please spare my life, don''t... kill me! I''ll turn over a new leaf and be a better person."

    Yan Wu snorted, walked over, and gave him an equal p, causing the ski hat''s head to buzz.

    Then Yan Wu handed him a phone, "Write down your name, phone number, home address, and family members. If you do anything bad again, I''lle for you. Oh, and keep away from that girl."

    After he finished, he looked at the other three, "The same goes for you. Leave me your personal information. I''ve already memorized your scents, and no matter where you hide, I can find you."

    After recording their information, Yan Wu had the four people pull out their IDs for verification.

    He didn''t take advantage of them either and afterward threw his own ID at them.

    "Remember this, my name is Yan Wu, owner of Jin Xin Plumbing and Hardware Department Store. My shop is on Fragrant Garden East Road. If you can find enough people and weapons, you cane and seek revenge.

    "My personal rmendation is no less than a toon of special forces, and preferably with heavy weapons. That way, I might actually get a workout. Got it?"

    A fierce smile appeared on Yan Wu''s face.

    The four werepletely terrified, and only after hearing thest sentence did they nod their heads frantically, supporting each other to stand up, ready to limp away.

    Just then, they were stopped by Ma Lu, "Hey, wait, settle the bill first."

    Seeing the nk looks on their faces, Ma Lu could only remind them, "You smashed a chair in the inte caf¨¦ earlier. You don''t expect me to pay for that, do you?"

    It was as if the four had woken from a dream. They quickly went through their pockets and managed to scrape together nearly two hundred bucks.

    Ma Lu didn''t ask for more, just took a hundred and then let the four scram.

    Yan Wu took the soda Ma Lu handed him, finished it in one breath, and handed back the bottle, shaking his head, "Was that what you called ''releasing the wild''? Not interesting."

    "The opponents were too weak this time. I''ll call you when there''s a more intense fight."

    "We''ll see. I might not be free," Yan Wu picked up the fallen hardware tools, "I still have to tend to the shop most days."

    "Alright then."

    "I''m off." Yan Wu nced upstairs, then turned to head to his van parked by the roadside.

    Meanwhile, thendy upstairs hurriedly pulled back her head, her face flushed, unsure if the man had seen her.

    Just now, worried about Yan Wu, she had run up to the second floor of the inte caf¨¦ to see if the hardware store owner was alright. What she ended up witnessing was a scene she would never forget.

    She saw the man in the work overalls dismiss the assault of the four men with ease. If this were ancient times, he would no doubt be a warrior of the same caliber as Xiang Yu or Guan Yu.

    Even in times of peace, this level of martial prowess dazzled onlookers, especially when Yan Wu revealed his identity at the end by tossing his ID card in front of those four young men. He truly had an air of swallowing the mountains and rivers, an unstoppable force.

    When Ma Lu came in to return bottles and money, thendy''s heart was still thumping wildly, so much so that she identally broke a bottle while collecting them.

    Afterward, Ma Lu knocked on Zhen Ye''s door, but no matter how much he knocked, he couldn''t get a response. Worried that the previous incident had scared her, he quickly asked thendy for a spare key.

    Upon entering the room, he saw Zhen Ye curled up in a gaming chair, head tilted, eyes closed, and soundly sleeping.

    Her screen was frozen on the settlement page, and she was wearing headphones, which exined why she hadn''t responded to the earlier door knocking.

    This was the first time Ma Lu had seen such an odd sleeping position.

    Perhaps sensing someone in the room, Zhen Ye opened her eyes, groggily asked, "Is it time for dinner?"

    "No, I just came to check on you. Go back to sleep," he replied.

    "Oh," Zhen Ye muttered before turning over and closing her eyes again.

    At this point, thendy came over and asked, "Are you leaving now?"

    "No, now that the trouble has been dealt with, let her stay here a while longer. If there''s a problem, you can call me," he said.

    Ma Lu had only mentioned it offhand before and hadn''t seriously nned on taking Zhen Ye back home.

    Mainly because there really wasn''t any space in the rented apartment, and neither No. 6, the desktop farm, nor the ingredients from the Different Dimension in the fridge were fit to be seen by others.

    Zhen Ye might be a homebody, but she wasn''t foolish.

    Normally it wouldn''t matter, but living under the same roof, she''d probably notice something was off within a couple of days.

    Moreover, Ma Lu had his own need for privacy. When he got home, he would just wear slippers and boxers, aiming for rxation. If a woman were to live in the house, he couldn''t be as casual anymore.

    ......

    In the following days, Ma Lu and Old Wang went out to set up their street stall as usual.

    Since they wanted to get the desktop farm going, even though the Collection Bag had been upgraded to Level 6, the usable meat for sale was actually a hundred pounds less thanst time.

    Luckily, the unit price was high enough that this week''s total ie still increased, amounting to 263,916 yuan. However, the costs also rose by 1,000, including the purchases of vegetables and meal containers, adding up to a total of 2,314.5 yuan.

    The final profit was 261,601.5 yuan, but this time Old Wang also bought quite a few pieces of kitchen equipment.

    Things like stainless steel racks, sinks, stainless steel stoves, and warming tables could be bought used, as a good cleaning would make them usable.

    But for electric appliances like range hoods, steam cabs, vegetable cutters, mixers, and water heaters, which can have uncertain conditions when second-hand, Ma Lu ultimately chose to buy new ones. That way, if anything broke, the manufacturer could fix it directly, which is more convenient.

    Especially with freezers, Ma Lu bought quite a few, nning to line them up in the Mirror Spaceter to specially store meat from the Different Dimension. Along with some kitchen and dining utensils, he unwittingly spent another 100,000 yuan.

    Another six days passed, and the animals in the desktop farm were growing well.

    They had increased from 203 pounds to 319 pounds. The two Link Hedgehogs had also given birth to four pups, while the four Red-bellied Rattlesnakes and three Angr Belly ck Swift Snakes hadid a total of 12 eggs together, showing great promise.

    However, the Earth Dragon and the Seven-Toothed Giant Horn Viper, being the highest-ranked, perhaps due to still being juveniles, had not conceived yet, but the good news is that they were growing rapidly.

    Additionally, Ma Lu discovered something sad: the two Self-Destructing Jumping Mice he had caught seemed to be both males, as he hadn''t inspected them closely at the time.

    He nned to catch more animals on his next trip and bring them back to expand the farm.

 Chapter 142: Chapter 142 Rewards

    Returning to the Giant Curtain once again, the scene was drastically different from just a week ago.

    Since the Beast Herding Frog was taken away by Ma Lu, the remaining animals had lost theirmand and restraint, and they began to kill each other under the drive of their foraging instincts.

    The weaker beasts fled inrge numbers, while the stronger beasts fought over territory, food sources, and mating rights.

    The losers either slunk away or simply became food for the more powerful creatures, which led to a significant reduction in the animal poption within the city.

    Though the ones that remained were stronger, without the Beast Herding Frog to organize them, they carved out their own territories and fought only for themselves, ultimately unable to escape being hunted by various Hunting Groups.

    By the time Ma Lu returned, hunters had reimed a third of the citynd on that level.

    The municipal engineering team and volunteers were busy clearing rubble and repairing the sr panels above the city.

    Boggy, Mai Mai, Sadie, and Seta were waiting for him at the ce where they separatedst time. Seta was also there, though he was still limping due to unfinished healing from his injuries.

    Apart from the four members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group, many familiar faces also turned up, including the Vice President of the Hunter''s Guild, Qin Zhao, the Speaker of the City Council, Chf, the First Judge Dionysus, several council members... and a crowd of journalists.

    The first to step forward was the Speaker of the City Council, Chf, who personally awarded Ma Lu the Medal of Honorary Citizen, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Giant Curtain during the recent animal chaos.

    Journalists pressed their shutters, capturing this historic moment.

    Apart from the nominal praise, the City Council also provided a substantial reward.

    Including a bonus of 1 million Electric Degrees (though due to the current power shortage, this can only be imed once the city ispletely retaken), a two-person apartment (currently a ruin, not yet constructed).

    Exemption from legal prosecution except for major criminal cases (useless, for Ma Lu would not be foolish enough to get caught if he were tomit a crime), free education for children (an even more intangible thing), and high personal insurance (another useless thing, with the Bug Egg around, Ma Lu could not die even if he wanted to)...

    The list of misceneous privileges that followed was quite long, taking up two pages, but were essentially just crumbs.

    Inparison, the Hunter''s Guild was more generous, giving each member a bonus of 1 million Electric Degrees on top of that, and the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group was directly promoted from Silver to Diamond Level, bing the fifth Diamond Level Hunting Group in the Giant Curtain.

    The Hunter''s Guild also bestowed a small building as the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group''s headquarters, as well as a medium-sized Air Transport.

    Especially thetter, which was valued at over 60 million Electric Degrees.

    Importantly, before this, all air transports in the Giant Curtain were under the control of the Hunter''s Guild, and the hunters from various Hunting Groups could only use them by paying high rentals.

    So this time it was a precedent broken, with the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group bing the first to own their Air Transport.

    Now they could show off this advantage openly!

    But such swagger did note without costs.

    Although they would not have to pay rental fees for deploying the Air Transport in the future, they still needed to pay for electricity, as well as routine maintenance and servicing.

    And with the possession of an Air Transport, they would inevitably have to recruit a pilot; this wasn''t that troublesome, as asking retired pilots should yield suitable candidates. Yet this would mean more expenses in the form of a pilot''s sry.

    In other words, owning an Air Transport meant incurring incessant costs even if it just sat idle.

    Therefore, to make the Air Transport worthwhile, they had to fly more often. Relying solely on the current hunting frequency of the five members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group once a week would definitely be a loss-making proposition.

    Thus, Boggy contacted several hunting groups and signed cooperation contracts with Cyren, me Tooth, Harpist, and other hunting groups, stipting that if they had the need to use the air transport, they could rent it at a slightly lower rate from Twin Sunflower with priority.

    But that was not a long-term solution, so Boggy nned to have the hunting group recruit members once again.

    No sooner had the news been released than a flood of self-rmendation letters swamped Boggy''s temporary residence.

    The recent beast wave had caused heavy losses to many hunting groups, especially the medium and small ones, such as Wang Zhen and others who Boggy had encountered outside Gate No. 3, who had managed to escape back to the city.

    But with teammates, even the leaders of their hunting groups fallen in battle, some chose to infuse new blood into their ranks, while others decided to disband altogether.

    As a result, in recent times, there had been an influx of hunters looking for work.

    Because the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group had saved the Giant Curtain, its reputation had reached its zenith. In addition, as one of only six Diamond Level Hunting Groups of the Giant Curtain, joining now would grant one ess to a suite of Diamond Level privileges.

    Not to mention the residence and the stylish exclusive air transport that had be the top choice of all the frence hunters on the Giant Curtain!

    It was even more attractive than several well-established Diamond Level hunting groups, drawing many top-notch hunters who sought fame.

    "This time, I n to expand the group to 30 members, divided into three squads. What do you think?" Boggy asked.

    "I have no objections, you''re the leader. You make the decisions regarding the day-to-day matters of the hunting group," Ma Lu casually replied.

    He was still poring over the privileges of a Diamond Level Hunting Group, with a keen eye for the legendary Night Club Gold VIP.

    If there was anything that attracted Ma Lu the most from the prizes, it was this.

    Having made the difficult trip to the Different Dimension, it would be inexcusable not to check out the local entertainment industry.

    Ma Lu located the notes behind this privilege for three night clubs, two of which were on the first floor, presumably already destroyed in the beast wave and unlikely to be rebuilt anytime soon.

    Fortunately, there was one on the second subterranean level.

    Good.

    Ma Lu set an rm with glee, nning to visit that ce before departing, and have a thorough critique of the local''s decadent lifestyles.

    Looking up, he inadvertently saw a sh of dejection in Boggy''s eyes.

    Ma Lu then noticed that Boggy seemed not to be in high spirits, despite having saved the Giant Curtain a week ago and the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group flourishing and advancing to a Diamond Level hunting group. Yet there were not many smiles on the face of her, the leader.

    Thinking it over, Ma Lu said, "There''s still plenty of time, let''s not rush hunting. Shall we take a walk?"

    Seta immediately agreed loudly, "Great, let''s go have a drink at the Little Bear Bar! It''s open for business again, and it''s perfect for us to celebrate together..."

    He hadn''t finished speaking when his sister and Mai Mai covered his mouth, "You want a drink? Come on, I know a ce where we can drink."

    Mai Mai said this while dragging the baffled Seta away with Sadie.

    Meanwhile, Qin Zhao, Chf, the council members, and the reporters gradually dispersed. Ma Lu chatted with Dionysus for a while, epted his thanks and then Dionysus too left, leaving only Ma Lu and Boggy.

 Chapter 143: Chapter 143 Secret Treasure

    "Do you have anywhere you want to go?" Ma Lu asked Boggy.

    "Hmm, there actually is one ce," Boggy thought for a moment and then casually pointed in a direction.

    The two walked toward that direction, and the beasts near the elevator area had mostly been cleared out.

    However, you could still see some Hunters, most of them were out hunting beasts in other districts, and some were returning for a rest.

    Besides them, they asionally ran into some municipal workers and volunteers, who all invariably greeted them upon seeing them, and Boggy politely returned the gesture.

    Seeing this, Ma Lu said, "If Captain Li could see this scene, he would probably be proud of you, too, although you did not take over the Hunting Group he left behind."

    "Oh, I''m not worried about the Harpist," Boggy said with his hands in his pockets, "In fact, I''ve already stepped out of my father''s shadow. Whatever future the Harpist turns into, whether it exists or disappears, it won''t affect the glory that Li once achieved.

    "And even if one day the world forgets him, I will still remember everything about him. In my heart, he will always be the best Hunter."

    "But if it''s not about the Harpist, why are you so down?"

    "What do you think I''m like as a leader?" Boggy suddenly asked.

    "Honest, serious, hardworking, intelligent, responsible towards the Hunting Group, lenient with the members," Ma Lu counted on his fingers, "only a bit too harsh on yourself..."

    Boggy shook his head, "I''m not a qualified leader."

    Before Ma Lu could say anything else, Boggy cut him off, "You and I both know why I became the leader of Twin Sunflower. What I''ve always relied on is not my own strength, but your help."

    Raising his eyebrows, Ma Lu said, "Do you think that way because of what Guli said to you?"

    "Maybe. I don''t know why he dislikes me so much. After my father left, he always seemed caring toward me and would... encourage me from time to time. When I was down, I never expected that he actually saw me as a stain on my father''s legacy, wanting me to give up being a Hunter."

    Kicking a small stone, Boggy said, "But some of the things he said were indeed true. My talents are indeedcking; I''m not even qualified to be a Hunter."

    "When you convinced me to start a Hunting Group with you, I just wanted Chi Qi to be able to stay in the Harpist without worry. I never thought our Hunting Group would get promoted all the way to Diamond Level.

    "With my abilities, I''mpletely unqualified to lead a Hunting Group, let alone one at Diamond Level."

    Taking a deep breath, Boggy said, "To put it inly, if the person you had encountered in the desert wasn''t me but someone else, then that person would now be the leader of Twin Sunflower, the hero who saved the Giant Curtain."

    "I don''t see it that way," Ma Lu said, "You''re the best leader I''ve ever seen. I mean it; I''ve been here for a while now and I''ve seen quite a few leaders.

    "Oh, by the way, especially in dangerous situations, you always have a way to calm yourself down and make the right decisions, like when you used Fury Wings to send me signals, apart from..."

    "Apart from my Psychic Power, but Psychic Power is what''s most important for a Hunter," Boggy said.

    "So I want to give you the lead of the group. Your Meat Pigeon is the strongest Psychic Power I''ve ever seen."

    "I can''t do it," Ma Lu immediately rejected.

    "You onlying once a week is indeed a bit of a hassle, but it''s not a big problem. I can handle the Hunting Group''s day-to-day affairs when you''re not around."

    "No, no, no, I was actually nning to tell you that I might note around as often anymore."

    "Hm?" Boggy halted her steps, taken aback.

    Ma Lu scratched his head, "The beast tide has ended, and everyone in the Hunting Group is safe and sound. I can rest assured, so I''m thinking of going somewhere else for a change."

    "Somewhere else, do you mean other cities?"

    "Kind of, but don''t worry. I''lle back from time to time to join in the hunts and such."

    This news was somewhat sudden for Boggy, and it took her a while to process it.

    "Then... I''ll let Mai Mai take over as Captain," she said.

    Ma Lu scratched his head again, "Don''t rush it, do you remember the key to a Secret Treasure that Seta gave me before?"

    "You mean that Earth Dragon Tooth?" Boggy didn''t understand why Ma Lu was bringing this up all of a sudden.

    "You told me that possessing the key would provoke a reaction when near the Secret Treasure. Thest time we were in the cave, the key had no reaction, butter when we encountered the Six-armed Ancient Ape, the Earth Dragon Tooth suddenly moved and pointed towards a sand dune."

    "You mean, you found that Secret Treasure?" Boggy''s eyes widened.

    "That''s right." As Ma Lu spoke, he produced an unremarkable little pebble from his bosom.

    Boggy took the small pebble and examined it but couldn''t see how it was any different from any other pebble.

    Still, she said, "Then congrattions."

    "No need to congratte me, I can''t use this thing," Ma Lu responded.

    "Why?"

    "Perhaps because I''m a foreigner." As he spoke, Ma Lu nced at the peculiar item he had just acquired.

    ¡ª[Wish-Fulfilling Tree]

    Designates a teammate to fulfill that teammate''s deepest desire (permanent effect) Price: 88888

    A peculiar item with a price of 88,888 points was something Ma Lu had never seen before, and it was also of no help to him.

    But Ma Lu did not hesitate to bid on it, especially since in thest round he''d fought from start to finish, earning a total of 46,532 points, which, together with the previously remaining over 40,000 points and interest, just about covered the cost for this Wish-Fulfilling Tree.

    He had intended to use this peculiar item on Boggy anyway, so that hisst concern before leaving this ne would also be gone.

    As for the Secret Treasure, that was just an excuse Ma Lu made up, otherwise it would be tooplicated to exin. That little pebble was something he had casually picked up on the roadside not long ago.

    "I''m giving it to you."

    "No, this is too precious." Boggy handed the pebble back to him, but Ma Lu didn''t take it.

    "Of course, I have my conditions. From now on, I''ll take thirty percent of your hunting catches, especially the rare ones. They can be stored in my cold storage. Also, it would be even better if you could catch young offspring of those rare creatures. Ideally, one male and one female, and make sure to keep them alive for me."

    Ma Lu said all of this in one breath. After spending so much time together, he absolutely trusted Boggy''s character. As long as Boggy agreed, even if he didn''te around often, he would still have someone to hunt for him, especially capturing those ingredients suitable for breeding on the farm.

 Chapter 144: Chapter 144 Desert Bandits

    "Okay." Boggy almost didn''t hesitate and immediately agreed, then asked, "How do I use the Secret Treasure?"

    "You can grasp it tightly and feel the energy contained within with your heart, imagining the ability you want to possess."

    Upon hearing this, Boggy closed her eyes and, following Ma Lu''s instructions, seriously held the small stone in her hand.

    About half a minuteter, she opened her eyes again. "I don''t feel anything at all."

    "No matter, just continue doing as I''ve said. The Secret Treasure is already establishing a connection with you; it''s just a bit shy¡­"

    "Okay." Boggy, who still had a lot of trust in Ma Lu, closed her eyes again.

    She clutched the small stone and ced both hands in front of her chest.

    Then she felt another pair of hands holding hers.

    Ma Lu had pulled Boggy into the team, using the newly acquired marvel, the Wish-Fulfilling Tree, and then released his hands and asked.

    "How is it, do you feel any changes?"

    Boggy opened her eyes and did not immediately answer.

    She suddenly opened her mouth and spat out a string of incantations; at the same time, she threw a punch.

    This punch was significantly faster than her punches before she was blessed with firmness. Standing to one side, Ma Lu felt a gust of wind brush past his ear.

    The hair in front of his forehead was blown up as well, but perhaps because he was used to seeing the exaggerated numbers under Meat Pigeon mode, this punch, though stylish, seemed tock power in Ma Lu''s eyes.

    Damn, could it be that Boggy had acquired another useless ability?

    The description of the Wish-Fulfilling Tree''s effect was rather vague, only mentioning it could fulfill a teammate''s most intense inner wish.

    Boggy''s most intense wish was definitely to have another Psychic Power, but it was difficult to say exactly what that Psychic Power might be.

    It could turn out to be like opening a blind box¡ªbad luck could mean drawing constion prizes two times in a row.

    Ma Lu was thinking about how to console Boggy when he saw the young girl, still maintaining her punching posture, had already started crying.

    A thought struck Ma Lu, "What Psychic Power did you get?"

    "Wind Fist," Boggy said.

    "Wind Fist?"

    "Yes, Wind Fist. With the wind guiding the fist, the user''s punching speed can be enhanced by the force of the wind."

    "So¡­is this ability strong or weak?"

    "Wind Fist is quite special. It is one of the few Psychic Powers that starts out ordinary but, through persistent and hard training, can achieve an extremely high potential."

    Boggy said, "The strongest Hunter who practiced Wind Fist in thest two hundred years was the former leader of the Harpist, Li."

    "So this was your father''s ability?" Ma Lu was somewhat surprised but also felt it somehow made sense.

    "Yep." Boggy had already wiped the tears off her face.

    "Oh, well congrattions then."

    "Thank you," Boggy once again expressed her sincere thanks.

    The Secret Treasure capable of unlocking a Second Psychic Ability had a fatal attraction for all Hunters.

    ```

    Besides Ma Lu, Boggy didn''t know if there was anyone else who would give away a Secret Treasure that they had already obtained.

    Ma Lu, however, didn''t feel much regret. Although the selling price of the Wish-Fulfilling Tree was exorbitant, the curiosities he already possessed were sufficient for battle, and once he reached other nes, those remaining credits would be useless.

    It was better to use them on Boggy to strengthen her abilities. After all, they had already established a contract, and the more prey Boggy could hunt in the future, the more Ma Lu would receive.

    Before they knew it, the two had arrived at the ce Boggy had mentioned.

    It was the one and only botanical garden in the Giant Curtain, but it had been destroyed in the beast tide and had turned into ruins, with traces of battle everywhere.

    The botanical garden wasn''trge, but its design was quite interesting.

    Instead of sr panels, there was a square piece of ss on the roof right at the center.

    Sunlight streamed through the ss pane and shone upon the ruins, casting an inexplicably sacred aura.

    Boggy casually dealt with two Angr Belly ck Swift Snakes hiding in the ruins, then started rummaging through the rubble.

    It wasn''t long before she made a discovery.

    Ma Lu leaned in and saw a small yellow flower in the gap between two cement boards, and it was a twin bloom.

    The small flower looked somehow familiar as if he had seen it somewhere before. Ma Lu thought about it and finally remembered, eximing in surprise, "Is this a Twin Sunflower?"

    "Yes," said Boggy. "Long, long ago, our world was also teeming with life, covered in greenery, but since an extra sun appeared in the sky, most nts have perished.

    "The beasts burrowed into the sand for refuge, while the humans built strongholds like the Giant Curtain in this desert to eke out a difficult existence. The Twin Sunflower is one of the few nts that survived the catastrophe with our ancestors and has even adapted to the harsh sunlight. It''s truly a miracle.

    Boggy paused, gazing into Ma Lu''s eyes, "Just like how I met you in the vast desert."

    ...

    When Ma Lu returned to the couch, he was still savoring thest performance that had been uniquely eye-opening and exciting.

    With two hours left on the countdown, he had arrived at the nightclub known as the Desert Bandits Night Club.

    This nightclub was said to have been in business for over 40 years and had an excellent reputation among its patrons.

    However, due to the current power shortage in the Giant Curtain, entertainment venues like this were generally closed in response to government calls.

    Just when Ma Lu thought his visit would be in vain, someone recognized him.

    After learning that he was the deputy leader of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group and a hero who had saved the city, the Desert Bandits Night Club decided to arrange a special golden VIP performance for him.

    The specific details of the performance could not be borated due to regtory restrictions, but suffice to say, Ma Lu was very satisfied.

    Of course, he did not forget his main task. He and the other four members of the Twin Sunflower Hunting Group set out on another hunt, taking down a t Skull Giant Bat that had settled in the east of the city and using a Healing Blessing to cure Seta''s injuries.

    This time, Ma Lu also brought back 300 kilograms of fresh ingredients, some of which he caught himself, and the rest he bought directly from the market, all handpicked for their health and liveliness, still in their juvenile phase.

    These includedmonly seen species such as the ck-Breasted Chicken, Gray Elephant Shrew, Sand-Spray Qiang, and Grey-Spotted Cheetah, as well as 3-star and above ingredients like the Snake-tailed Giant Eagle, Redback Scorpion, and Crocodile Bullet Ant.

    Ma Lu also added a female Self-Destructing Jumping Mouse to the breeding farm.

    With this, the total weight of the ingredients in the farm had reached 642 kilograms. At this rate, Ma Lu estimated that in 5 days, it would surpass 1000 kilograms, and as time went on, with the breeding within the farm, the rate of increase would only be faster.

    However, to solely rely on the desktop breeding farm to supply the restaurant''s consumption, there should be a total weight of at least 2000 kilograms. Considering the need for breeding stock, a range of 3000 to 4000 kilograms, or even higher, would be ideal to ensure an ample supply of each ingredient.

    In addition to the ingredients in the Collection Bag, Ma Lu also had a new harvest this time.

    ```

 Chapter 145: Chapter 145 Ingredient Collector

    The Traveler''s Bracelet built-in scanning function unlocked an illustration each time it scanned a new food ingredient.

    At first, Ma Lu thought these illustrations were just a way to record the wild beasts he had encountered, especially since many of them were scanned when they entered the scanning range, but Ma Lu might have been busy with other things at the time or there were too many other wild beasts nearby, so he ignored them.

    Having an illustration meant that at least he could flip through themter to see what a beast with a certain name looked like.

    It wasn''t until he unlocked over 200 kinds of illustrations that the Traveler''s Bracelet suddenly popped up a new notification.

    Ding! Congrattions on obtaining the title¡ªIngredient Collector, by wearing this title, an appointed personal equipment item gets an additional level +1.

    Ma Lu was also surprised when he saw this notification.

    Is this possible?!

    The four pieces of equipment he had: let''s not mention the Shelter of Fate, which Ma Lu relied on for his exploits; the Collection Bag was used to hold ingredients, also indispensable; the Chef''s Knife''s importance was slightly lesser, but its ability to cut all kinds of food ingredients was too useful in battle.

    And after several battles, Ma Lu found that its damage-boosting effect upon leveling up was triggered just by carrying it, making it a truly practical weapon inbat.

    Inparison, the Traveler''s Bracelet had the most and most misceneous functions, much like a smart terminal, but if you were to say which feature was indispensable, it seemed hard to pin down at the moment.

    It wasn''t until Ma Lu collected these illustrations and inadvertently unlocked the Title System that he discovered the Traveler''s Bracelet still had this trick up its sleeve.

    Designating an equipment item to gain an additional level +1 might not seem like much, but Ma Lu had already upgraded his equipment several times and knew well the substantial investment involved, especially as it got more terrifyingter on.

    For instance, upgrading his Level 6 Collection Bag to Level 7 would cost 320,000 Star Currency, a sum that could buy a house in many a small county, or at the very least make a down payment.

    But now, with the title of Ingredient Collector, Ma Lu could upgrade his Level 6 Collection Bag to Level 7 without spending a dime.

    So this time, he actually brought back a total of 1000 pounds of ingredients, and even after deducting the 300 pounds he invested into the breeding farm table, there were still 700 pounds left to use for his food stand.

    Furthermore, Ma Lu discovered that this title could be worn or removed freely.

    Removing it and wearing it again allowed him to designate another equipment item to gain an additional level +1, though it came with a 12-hour cooldown period.

    But this didn''t detract from the practicality of the Ingredient Collector title, and since collecting 200 kinds of ingredients earned him a title, naturally, collecting more would yield more titles.

    Although he wasn''t yet clear on the functions of the other titles and whether different titles could be worn at the same time, Ma Lu had made up his mind to collect as many illustrations as possible in the future.

    Furthermore, this incident made him study the illustrations carefully again, discovering that they also had different rarities.

    Ingredients below three stars were mostly of ordinary quality, moving up to rare, and as for super rare illustrations, Ma Lu currently only had two: the Six-armed Ancient Ape and the Golden Leopard.

    Beyond that were legendary-quality pictures, and only the Beast Herding Frog fitted into this category.

    Ma Lu guessed collecting a certain number of illustrations of different levels would probably earn him titles, and it was very likely that higher-quality illustrations would provide better title effects.

    However, this could only be verified over time.

    After studying the illustrations, Ma Lu decided on today''s menu and went out to buy the side dishes ording to the menu, only to receive a phone call from Yan Wu on the way back.

    "Hello, are you free right now?"

    Ma Lu was almost at the front of the apartment building, holding three big bags of vegetables in one hand and two buckets of oil in the other, so he had to sandwich the phone between his shoulder and cheek.

    "We''re nning to go out and set up a stand in a bit, but Boss Yan, you can go ahead and tell us what you need?"

    Yan Wu didn''t beat around the bush and went straight to the point, "I have a business offer, wondering if you''re interested?"

    "What kind of business?"

    "Some old friends of mine will be visiting me at noon today, and I want to invite them for a meal."

    "But my restaurant hasn''t started operating yet, or do you mean Boss Yan, you want to bring them to my street food stall?"

    "I know your restaurant is not open yet, and my friends cannot appear in public, so I want to invite you to cook at my ce, and I can pay you in Star Currency for this time."

    Ma Lu''s interest was piqued, "How much are you thinking, Boss Yan? How many dishes, and do you have any requirements?"

    "Let''s say 200 Star Currency, four dishes and a soup, no special requirements, just don''t make anything that calls on the wild again, oh, and my friends are Valkyrie People."

    Ma Lu didn''t know whether 200 Star Currency was a lot or a little, but since Yan Wu''s request was quite simple¡ªjust cook four dishes and a soup, with no special requirements for ingredients or taste¡ªthat should be an easy task for Old Wang.

    There was no reason not to earn that money.

    So Ma Lu immediately agreed to the offer, though he wondered what the so-called Valkyrie People were like.

    From what Yan Wu said, they seemed unable to appear in front of ordinary people. Even Yan Wu, a werewolf, had already integrated into human society and even opened a hardware store.

    If there were many guestsing, he also wondered whether four dishes and a soup would be enough to entertain them.

    But since they were just cooking on-site, this was something that Yan Wu, the host, had to decide, so Ma Lu didn''t bother with it.

    After returning home, he informed Old Wang about the situation and then checked the stock in the fridge; whatever the case, there would definitely be enough to make four dishes and a soup.

    Even the animals in the breeding farm didn''t need to be touched, as Ma Lu would not use up all the ingredients during the weeks of running his stand but would save two or three portions in the freezer for emergencies.

    Now, these ingredients were able toe in handy, although nning the menu still required some thought.

    Technically, Yan Wu had already informed Ma Lu of the cost for this meal and explicitly stated there were no additional requirements.

    This meant that from a perspective of maximizing profits, Ma Lu could just whip up some dishes with a Deliciousness Index of 1 or 2 stars to fulfill the task.

    But considering that the Universe Infinite Canteen would open soon, Ma Lu wasn''t too worried about Earth''s clientele, but he needed to properly advertise to potential visitors from Different Dimensions, as this rted to his future Star Currency ie. So this time, he had to showcase a few of Old Wang''s real skills.

    Additionally, Yan Wu had swiftly assisted with the incident involving Zhen Ye, so Ma Lu naturally wanted to return the favor and ensure that Yan Wu''s guests were well taken care of this time.

    Therefore, Ma Lu still selected many high-star ingredients and then made another trip to the farmers'' market toplete the rest of the side dishes.

 Chapter 146: Chapter 146 Visitors

    11:40, Ma Lu and Old Wang arrived on a tricycle outside Yan Wu''s courtyard.

    Jin Xin Plumbing and Hardware Store was closed today, and Yan Wu was standing on adder around a leather skirt, pruning a date tree.

    He saw the two men standing outside the courtyard wall and said, "Come in, the door''s unlocked."

    "Have the guests not arrived yet?" Ma Lu quickly scanned the surroundings, seeing no one other than Yan Wu.

    "They should have been here by now, but they sent me a message half an hour ago saying they were attacked on the road and are busy fighting. They''ll be a bitte."

    "Attack? There was a fight?" Ma Lu was startled, "Where? In City B?"

    "Where else? If they haven''t reached City B by now, how would they make it in time for lunch?"

    Ma Lu took out his phone to check the local news but didn''t see any reports of arge-scale brawl, though it''s also possible that it was suppressed by that pigeon.

    "Aren''t you going to help them?" Ma Lu asked Yan Wu.

    "No need, they can handle that little scene on their own." Yan Wu looked quite calm, not worried about his friends at all.

    "Alright then. Let''s start preparing." Ma Lu didn''t ask any further and went into the eastern kitchen with Old Wang.

    Old Wang had been there twice before and knew the ropes, so there was no need to familiarize himself with the kitchen again, and he started preparing the dishes ording to the menu quickly.

    Ma Lu leaned by the window and started watching funny videos to pass the time.

    About twenty minutester, Yan Wu finished pruning the date tree and had also cleaned up the fallen leaves and branches. He even changed into a different set of clothes.

    He wore a grey robe that looked quite ancient, with red brocade at the edges. He also wore a tall hat adorned with gems and grass ropes.

    Yan Wu took out his phone, nced at it, then hurried out the back door.

    When he returned, he wore a smile and said as he walked, "Wee, wee, wee to my home."

    "Hahaha, you must be Zangu, right? Thest time I saw you, you were only three years old, still nursing in your mother''s arms. I never imagined you''d grow up to be so big, and even be a warrior."

    "And you¡ªI smell something familiar on you. You''re a descendant of teacher Xiuxiu, tsk tsk. It''s been one thousand four hundred years since Ist met him."

    Upon hearing this, Ma Lu curiously looked out the window, only to see Yan Wu talking to himself, as if he were mad.

    Invisible people? No, Ma Lu''s gaze moved downward and finally spotted the guests.

    They were a group of tiny people with an average height of only 6-7 centimeters, standing in neat lines. Even the tallest and most burly among them was no more than 10 centimeters tall, barely taller than a high-heeled shoe.

    It was hard to imagine how far they could travel in a day with just those little short legs of theirs, but fortunately, they had their own means of transportation

    ¡ªbrown house rats.

    It was that kind of small house mouse often seen in cities; somehow these little people had managed to domesticate them. They''d harnessed them with reins, fitted them with saddles, and rode in pairs, much like one would ride horses.

    Besides, a few slightlyrger brown house rats were used as pack animals, two of which were dragging an iPhone 6 behind them.

    They must have used this phone to contact Yan Wu earlier.

    Ma Lu also noticed that these tiny individualsmonly carried weapons¡ªsome with spears the size of toothpicks, others with longbows the size of fingernails, and still others with daggers as long as pen tips, some with bloodstains on their bodies.

    Yan Wu arched his eyebrows, "What did you run into in the sewer, a stray cat?"

    "It was a crazed vicious dog, but it was no match for us; we wounded one of its paws. If it had not been for our hurry to meet a friend, my people and I would not have let it off so easily," the tallest of the little people said proudly next to the phone, then yed back the recording.

    Even Ma Lu in the kitchen could hear it now, and Yan Wu gave a thumbs-up, "True to the Valkyrie People, you are as brave and good in battle as your ancestors!"

    No sooner had he said this than one of the Valkyrie women pursed her lips, clearly unimpressed, while the taller Valkyrie man seemed a bit sheepish.

    Yan Wu asked curiously, "Liliem, do you have something to say?"

    The Valkyrie woman named Liliem stepped up to the phone, kicked the other Valkyrie man away, and spoke into the microphone.

    "Since we arrived in the city, Jigina, the most valiant warrior of our tribe and future chief, hasn''t been training seriously. He just loiters around McDonald''s and KFC," sheined.

    Yan Wu looked at Jigina, "Are you craving a fried chicken burger?"

    Jigina''s face turned beet red, and in the same tone as Captain Mark, he begged his sister Liliem, "Stop, stop talking... please."

    But Liliem paid him no heed, snorted, and continued, "No, he''s been loafing around to freeload Wi-Fi and scroll through TikTok, ogling those giantess'' flirtatious antics. Seriously, they''re so big, I don''t see what''s so attractive about them."

    Ma Lu took another look at Jigina, whose most embarrassing secret had just been exposed by his sister, and now he looked utterly defeated.

    And Liliem''s voice went on, "I think he''s got a giantess fetish. It''s a crucial time for the tribe''s relocation, everyone is working hard, and as the future chief, he should be leading by example, not losing himself in distractions.

    "Boss Yan, what do you think, am I right?" she asked.

    Yan Wu scratched his head, "Well... setting aside right or wrong, you''vee a long way, so take a rest and have a meal first. This time, I''ve specially invited a Cosmic Chef to cook for you."

    "Cosmic Chef?" Liliem''s eyes lit up, "I know about the Cosmic Chef. In my 975th past life, I was fortunate enough to encounter one and taste their cooking, which became the most precious memory of that life. I had no idea there were Cosmic Chefs in this universe."

    "Yeah, we''ve only recently met," said Yan Wu. "They n to open a store, too. If you like, you could support their business in the future."

    Upon hearing this, both Liliem and Jigina felt embarrassed, especially Liliem, who knew the tribe''s financial situation better than anyone; after all, she kept the ounts for this team.

    Money was already tight, then her brother became addicted to online female streamers, secretly using thest of the money in the ount to tip giantesses, just to help one beat another in a contest.

    When caught, he had the gall to argue that he did it out of pity, iming it was a righteous act to step in, nearly driving Liliem to explode with rage.

 Chapter 147 Opening the Cage

    The affairs of the Valkyrie tribe were not for Yan Wu, an outsider, to casually judge.

    So the hardware store owner simply went into the house, took out the prepared mineral water and beverages, and poured them onto a te on the ground.

    After securing their mice, the Valkyrie people would drink from their own pocket-sized water sks.

    Yan Wu then sat cross-legged on the ground and chatted idly with those Valkyrie folk for a while.

    It was from their conversation that Ma Lu learned how Yan Wu came to know these little people.

    By that time, Yan Wu had been trapped on Earth for over 600 years, constantly unable to find a way out, teetering on the edge of mental breakdown.

    Hisst hope was thinking that if he went to a higher ce, maybe the signal would get a bit better.

    And when talking about the highest ce on Earth, of course, there''s none other than Mount Everest.

    So Yan Wu made his way to the ''roof of the world.'' He didn''t make much preparation; given the technology of Earth at that time, there were no oxygen tanks, cold weather gear, or even sturdy ropes.

    Relying on his strong physique, Yan Wu started the climb with some dry food.

    In the process, he also encountered a snow avnche, got buried under the snow, and had to dog paddle for a long while to dig himself out, only to find his packed luggage lost.

    Yan Wu had no choice but to hunt a snow leopard for food on the spot.

    Because he had no guide, he got lostter on, but fortunately, he could still distinguish up from down. In any case, climbing continuously upwards would eventually take him to the summit.

    However, Yan Wu''s troubles had just begun. Heter fell from a cliff more than thirty meters high due to a faulty rope, and there were times when not even a snow leopard was avable to eat...

    But he overcame all these difficulties and finally became the first person in the universe to reach the summit of Mount Everest, a full 1500 years before Edmund Hiry.

    Even when he held themunicator high on the mountaintop, he still couldn''t receive any signal.

    At that moment, Yan Wu was utterly in despair.

    For someone like him who was inherently passionate about adventure and loved new things, staying in one ce for 600 years was really no different from killing him.

    Moreover, he had to continue living in this prison, with no idea how long he would have to stay, perhaps forever.

    If that were the case, it might be better to just end it all now.

    Thinking this, Yan Wu immediately took off his outer cotton jacket,y naked in the snow, and prepared to wait for death.

    Even the werewolf''s terrifying physical strength and recovery abilities couldn''t withstand the direct chill of minus 40 degrees Celsius for long. Soon his limbs were frozen stiff, and his consciousness started to blur.

    However, it was at this moment that a rather mysterious voice reached Yan Wu''s ears.

    The voice told him that life was like a cage, but this cage had a key that could open it.

    And the process of searching for the key was an adventure in itself. Since he dared to climb the tallest mountain in the world, why should he be afraid to ept this challenge?

    Afterwards, the voice said a lot of things that seemed very philosophical. Yan Wu heard some of them, but he was really too tired after that, and his consciousness was about to fade away.

    Hisst thought was ¨C Damn it, all this you''re saying doesn''t save me, it''s all in vain. I can''t go looking for the key.

    However, when Yan Wu opened his eyes again, he found that he had indeed survived and was already in a small vige at the foot of the mountain.

    With the severe frostbite a normal human suffered, they would have lost many limbs and organs for sure, but Yan Wu justy there for a few days and was able to get out of bed and move around.

    A weekter he left the small vige and began to search for the key that could unlock the cage of life.

    That was Yan Wu''s first encounter with the Valkyrie People, but at that time Yan Wu didn''t know that the mysterious voice by his ear came from the Valkyrie People.

    He just thought it was the spirit of the mountains or something, as the tales about the sacred mountain were always popr in the nearby viges.

    It wasn''t untilter, when Yan Wu became fascinated with hardware and realized that the key was something worth loving, that he returned to Mount Everest and truly met the Valkyrie People face to face.

    He learned that the one who had awakened him back then was a Valkyrie named Xiuxiu.

    But Xiuxiu had long since passed away, the Valkyrie People''s lifespan was not long, only about two-thirds that of normal humans, naturally, they could notpare to the long-lived Werewolves.

    However, the Valkyrie People had a special skill; they could pass on a part of precious memories to the newly born of their kind, something akin to what Buddhism calls reincarnation, yet different.

    The newborn only inherited a small portion of the memories and didn''t truly be the owner of those memories. The reason for this tradition was because the Valkyrie People always believed that the most precious thing for a person was their memory.

    Through this method, they gifted their most precious treasures to their descendants.

    For some reason, Xiuxiu considered their encounter with Yan Wu as their most precious memory and passed it down.

    So when Yan Wu appeared, those Valkyrie People recognized him, andter the two sides became friends.

    Yan Wu would return to Mount Everest from time to time to check on it while the Valkyrie People who had always lived there contemted moving, which is another story.

    On one hand, it was because the level of technological development in human society had advanced rapidly over the years, and some young Valkyrie People also wanted to enjoy the convenience brought about by these technologies, unwilling to live in the deep mountains like their ancestors.

    On the other hand, the number of people climbing Mount Everest had been increasing, disrupting the Valkyrie People''s peaceful life with increasing risk of discovery, making many of them distraught.

    Both groups advocated for relocating, but their desired destinations differed; some, like Jigina, wanted to live in the city, while some elders suggested moving to less frequented human areas.

    In the end, neither side could persuade the other, and the tribe agreed to first send out a team to explore city life.

    Jigina volunteered, leading nearly a hundred people on a journey that took them from the Tibetan teau to City B across half a year... to visit their friend, Yan Wu.

    Ma Lu wanted to hear more, but at this moment, Old Wang had finished preparing the first dish, Spider Egg Roast Sand Dory.

    Ma Lu carried the te out, and the Valkyrie warriors immediately became alert, set down their water bottles, and grabbed the weapons beside them, although Ma Lu didn''t know what use their small bows and arrows could be.

    Yan Wu reassured them, "Rx, Ma Lu is one of us."

    Liliem seemed to think of something, her eyes lit up with excitement, "You must be the famous cosmic chef."

    Ma Lu shook his head, "No, I''m not, Old Wang is, I''m his partner."

    Jigina put away the weapon, looking puzzled, "Where are you from?"

    "I... I''m from here," Ma Lu said, "even though I don''t have a household registration."

    "An Earthling?" At these words, Jigina''s expression became wary again, he grabbed his weapon and looked up at Yan Wu, "Why do you have an Earthling here?"

 Chapter 148 Four dishes and one soup

    ```

    "Don''t worry, Ma Lu has already registered with the city manager, so your existence won''t be exposed."

    Hearing what Yan Wu had to say, Jigina finally rxed, then spoke into the phone''s microphone.

    "Sorry, my people and I are just taking refuge in your universe, and we don''t want the people here to know about our existence."

    Yan Wu then exined, "The Valkyrie People were enved by an evil dragon for tens of thousands of years. Although they escaped, they are always cautious of other intelligent species, especially those that dominate a."

    "I see, so you''vee to Earth for refuge?" Ma Lu turned to the small people on the ground.

    Liliem nodded. It was her first time dealing with a giant and she seemed a bit nervous, speaking faster than before.

    "We are small, eat little, and our poption is also quite small, just under four thousand, so we won''t use too much of the resources on this. When we were in the mountains, we farmed our own food."

    "Oh, no problem, I don''t mind at all," Ma Lu said.

    Although he was an Earthling, he was just a restaurant owner and had no say in matters of races and immigrants.

    Moreover, ever since he met Old Wang, Ma Lu had met quite a few visitors from different dimensions, going from initial surprise to gradual numbness. He no longer knew how many outsiders might be hidden on this.

    But since everyone had been living peacefully for so many years, then just continue to make do, what else could they do? After all, if something really happened, there was always that pigeon to help cover for them.

    Also, these Valkyrie People were genuinely pitiable, having lost their own home and having traveled so far to Earth. After so much time, they only staked a im on Mount Everest and kept to themselves, until now when they sent someone down the mountain to gather information. They didn''t seem to harbor any ill intentions.

    Having finished speaking, Ma Lu ced the Spiny Whip Spider Eggs and Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream dish on the ground.

    "Please enjoy."

    This dish used two ingredients from different dimensions, Spiny Whip Spider Eggs and Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream meat, each a three-star ingredient. Combined, they raised the dish''s Deliciousness Index to ¡ï¡ï¡î.

    This group of Valkyrie People had trekked all the way here from the Tibetan teau, and probably hadn''t eaten very well on the journey.

    Seeing such a big piece of meat in front of them, everyone''s eyes glowed green with hunger. Yet, they still maintained excellent discipline, all turning to look at Jigina.

    Although he had just suffered a social death, as the leader of the group, he had to take the lead. If he didn''t eat first, the others could only continue to wait.

    Jigina was salivating wildly at the smell of the meat, but he hadn''t forgotten the proper etiquette.

    He stood with hands on hips, bent his right leg, ced it against the inside of his left leg, and then twirled on the spot like a ballet dancer for two and a half circles, performing the same action for Ma Lu.

    "This is the Valkyrie People''s way of expressing gratitude," Yan Wu exined as Ma Lu looked on in bewilderment.

    "Ah, so what should we do, twirl back? But I''m not that good at bncing, I''m afraid I cannot twirl that many times."

    "It''s okay," Liliem said. "This is our custom, and we don''t expect others to do the same. In fact, we equally respect the etiquette of other species. Just act as you usually would."

    Relieved, Ma Lu extended his index finger and "shook hands" with Jigina.

    After the exchange of courtesies, the Valkyrie warriors then climbed onto the te and sliced off a piece of Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream meat the size of half a pinky nail with a small knife they carried.

    As he put the piece of meat into his mouth, he immediately tasted a smoky vor mingled with the sweet scent of fruitwood.

    ```

    This is also a characteristic of Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream Meat, it not only retains the alluring smokiness typical of smoked meat but also keeps the moisture in the fresh meat to the greatest extent. Taking a bite, you can feel the juices explode between your teeth and on your tongue.

    Jigina didn''t speak, but from the way he was wolfing down his food, the other Valkyrie People could tell how delicious this grilled meat was.

    So they didn''t hesitate either, and they all rushed forward. Liliem, who had looked quitedylike before, turned out to eat more fiercely than anyone else, pushing her way to the forefront of the crowd, just slightly behind her brother.

    And after finishing one piece of roasted meat, she lined up again, this time aiming for the yellow pearls on top of the grilled meat.

    Girls naturally like round, shiny things, regardless of race.

    Moreover, therge pearls were edible this time. Liliem bit down, and rich juices spurted out, unexpectedly showering her face, although some sshed into her mouth as well.

    That immediately opened the door to a whole new world for her!

    Therge yellow pearls were filled with meat juices, but not from the Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream. Instead, it was the juice of another high-protein meat, abundant with meat fibers.

    It would be more urate to describe it as a piece of flowing meat rather than just juice.

    The texture waspletely different from the previous meat ribs, brimming with juices, yet when bitten into, it had a gritty texture and even a spicy taste reminiscent of curry.

    Liliem quickly grew fond of this unique and magical sensation, and more people started noticing the yellow pearls on the steak.

    Curious, they, too, stepped forward to taste, and soon they were eximing in amazement, just like Liliem.

    Seeing this, Yan Wu couldn''t help but shake his head.

    These Valkyrie People didn''t know the proper way to enjoy this dish; they were all too eager.

    In contrast, the hardware store owner had been as steady as Mount Everest, waiting a few more minutes. With the continued warmth of the steak, the spider eggs on top finally burst open, and the liquids inside flowed down, drizzling over the steak beneath.

    Only when he saw this did Yan Wu pick up his knife, cut a piece of meat, and put it in his mouth.

    Perfect!

    The vors of the Spiny Whip Spider Eggs and Thousand-Tooth Sand Bream Meat, so different from each other, finally blended together perfectly at that moment!

    This was a union of strengths, where the two ingredients didn''t just sit side by side, butplemented and contrasted each other, bringing out the vors even more strikingly.

    It took less than ten minutes for the Spider Egg Roast Sand Dory to bepletely devoured, with Yan Wu himself having half the dish, and the remaining half divided amongst the Valkyrie People.

    And at that moment, Ma Lu came out with the second dish.

    ¡ª¡ªIron te Magma Worm.

    This dish still used ingredients from a Different Dimension, Lava Giant Lizard and desert worms, and the preparation was somewhat simr to the earlier volcanic grilled sausages.

    However, volcanic grilled sausages are more suited to street stalls rather than being the main course of a restaurant.

    So, Ma Lu chose Iron te Magma Worm this time, stuffing Lava Giant Lizard Meat into desert worms. When cooked, there''s no need to add extra oil, and as it grills on the iron te, the fat from the desert worms infuses into the giant lizard meat, making the meat aromatic and rich.

    And to ensure this dish isn''t too rich, Old Wang added a fresh segment of asparagus in the middle.

 Chapter 149 Treasure Bead

    Jigina and the others were still immersed in the aftertaste of the Spider Egg Roast Sand Dory, and without pausing for a moment, the onught of the Iron te Magma Worm hit them next.

    This dish could be said to have brought out the charm of fat to the fullest, causing the faces of the Valkyrie People to blossom with smiles, and Liliem''s little mouth was shiny with oil.

    But the real highlight was the third dish.

    Yan Wu was familiar with this dish because Ma Lu had previously tried to conquer him with the meheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew, in hopes of getting those two High-Dimensional Artifacts from him.

    Although he did not seed in the end, Yan Wu was still very impressed by the dish and had to admit it was truly delicious.

    Moreover, the taste of the meheart Earth Dragon Orange Brew was rtively light, perfect for neutralizing the previous Iron te Magma Worm.

    With a Deliciousness Index of ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï, it alsounched a fierce attack on the taste buds of Jigina and the others.

    Those Valkyrie People who farmed hignd barley in the Himyas had never seen such a spectacle and surrendered in no time.

    Even though they were already feeling full, they still finished the dish with Yan Wu.

    For the fourth and final dish, Old Wang used the Giant Horn Viper that Ma Lu had brought backst time, another 5-star ingredient.

    However, this time he didn''t make stir-fried noodles, but instead made a mixed soup with the ribs of the Seven-Toothed Giant Horn Viper.

    The same was still true¡ªyou could smell the freshness of the meat without seeing it.

    And this time, it was indeed without meat, considering the previous three dishes were all meat-based, Old Wang only used the broth made from the Giant Horn Viper, adding scallops, salted duck eggs, seasonal vegetables, and mushrooms.

    When it was served, Jigina and the others were already full, but they couldn''t help trying a few spoonfuls, and once they started, they couldn''t stop.

    You take a spoonful, and I take a spoonful... unconsciously, they finished off the soup with vegetables, and the bellies of these little people swelled up one by one.

    At this point, they saw Ma Lue out of the kitchen again, holding arge porcin basin in his hands.

    Upon seeing the basin, the Valkyrie People couldn''t help but change color.

    The size of that basin felt big enough for all of them to bathe in together, and most importantly, they really couldn''t eat anymore, not even a single bite.

    Although thest soup smelled good, with a faint citrus aroma.

    Liliem rubbed her stomach, deciding to only stand on her tiptoes for a nce¡ªjust one look, and definitely no more eating.

    But when Ma Ludled a spoonful in front of her, Liliem was defeated because the light orange liquid inside really looked appealing, and it seemed like there weren''t any other stomach-filling foods.

    Just so happened that Liliem was a bit thirsty at the time, so she filled her small kettle from her waist, and then took a couple of sips.

    To call it a soup would be less apt than calling it fruit tea¡ªsweet, within it Liliem tasted the vors of dried tangerine peel, hawthorn, pear, and honey, and beyond that, a hidden delicate fragrance, somewhat like ambergris, that scent of amber mixed with the aroma of flowers.

    But Liliem knew ambergris was used to make perfumes, and couldn''t be eaten.

    And it was after drinking this sweet liquid that a miraculous thing happened¡ªshe felt the bloating in her stomach decrease somewhat.

    Liliem double-checked to confirm her discovery was real¡ªafter a few sips of the soup, she no longer felt as stuffed as before.

    Liliem shared this finding with the others, and the remaining Valkyrie People also crowded around, pouring from kettle to kettle, and in no time, they finished off the sweet soup in the spoon.

    So Ma Lu scooped another spoonful, and another... and in this way, all the little people got to drink thest bowl of soup.

    After they finished drinking, they all felt much morefortable in their stomachs, just like Liliem did, with the earlier drinkers already starting to ask where Yan Wu''s restroom was.

    After Yan Wu directed them, they rushed off in a hurry.

    The Werewolf Boss also curiously tasted the soup left in the basin.

    He closed his eyes and said, "You''ve added dried tangerine peel, snow pear, hawthorn, goji berries, honey, um, and there should also be japonica rice. These ingredientsbined indeed have the effect of aiding digestion and soothing the stomach. But the effect shouldn''t be this pronounced, did you add something else to it?"

    "Correct."

    "What is it?"

    "A small spoonful of t Skull Giant Bat''s gastric juice," Ma Lu said, "The t Skull Giant Bat is something I''ve just hunted recently. It has a diverse diet and eats almost anything with very strong digestive abilities. However, I only looked up the recipe to discover that its gastric juice was also an ingredient."

    "t Skull Giant Bat!" Yan Wu realized, "No wonder. But I didn''t specify any requests this time, and you''ve been quite generous. The dishes we had just now and thisst pot of soup included ingredients that weren''t cheap. And you''ve also put a lot of thought into these dishes themselves."

    "Just consider it a repayment for helping me out in a fight before," Ma Lu said. "Moreover, my restaurant is about to open, so it''s a good opportunity to try out some dishes and see how the market reacts."

    After Ma Lu finished speaking, he asked Yan Wu, "Boss Yan, you''ve been to many ces and tasted many dishes. How much do you think we should charge for these dishes in Star Currency?"

    Yan Wu stroked his chin, "Let''s leave the pricing for now. Do you only n to serve customers from Different Dimensions in your restaurant in the future?"

    "Of course not. We want to earn Star Currency to pay off the huge amount I owe you, and I''m also in need of the currency from our own dimension, so I will wee regr customers as well."

    "But why would people spend Star Currency in your restaurant instead of regr bills?"

    "I''ve considered this issue as well. My preliminary n is to have two menus, one regr menu for the general public and a hidden menu specifically for special customers."

    "Dual menus, huh?" Yan Wu nodded, "That''s a solution. Then once you''ve created your hidden menu, I can help you write a reference price list for it."

    "That sounds good."

    Ma Lu then talked to Yan Wu about some more details of opening the restaurant, including the hardware orders, while the Valkyrie People gradually came out of the restroom.

    However, a sudden gust of wind blew the slightly ajar door of the restroom shut.

    Although it wasn''t locked, those remaining Valkyries inside couldn''t reach the doorknob and were unable toe out.

    When Ma Lu saw this, he went over to help them open the door and received their thanks.

    The young Valkyrie who was saved jumped down from the steps and then, just like Jigina before, ced her hands on his hips, bent the right leg, rested it against the inside of the left leg, and spun around twice and a half on the ground, thanking Ma Lu in this manner.

    Ma Lu thought it was over, but then Liliem pulled Jigina aside and they whispered together for a while.

    Afterward, Jigina approached a Brown House Rat and opened the backpack it carried.

    She took out a ss marble.

    Holding the ss marble, Jigina stood before Ma Lu and spoke, "Respected big friend, please convey our gratitude to the chef of this luncheon. The dishes he cooked are the best we have ever tasted in our lives.

    "That meal just now has already be many of our people''s treasured memory, which will be passed down and savored by future generations.

    "And ording to the ancient tradition of the Valkyrie People, for the one who has given us such precious memories, we also return a Treasure Bead."

    "Treasure Bead, what Treasure Bead?" Ma Lu asked curiously.

 Chapter 150: Chapter 150 Earth Dragon Bone Spicy Hot Pot

    Ma Lu took the ss marble from Jigina''s arms, held it up to the sunlight, and couldn''t see how it was any different from a regr marble.

    "This is a riding treasure bead," Liliem continued to exin. "After using it, you can summon a mouse nearby to serve as your mount."

    Ma Lu felt this feature sounded a bit familiar. What was this... Mouse Uber?

    But the problem was, with his size, there seemed to be no suitable mouse for him to ride.

    Seemingly aware of what he was thinking, Liliem gently stroked a small house mouse.

    "Don''t underestimate these little guys; they have been surviving on this for longer than your species, are extremely intelligent, and possess excellent learning and memory skills. Not only can they serve as mounts, but they can also undertake many other jobs.

    "For example, delivering letters, delivering goods, going ces you can''t... Plus, didn''t you invent something called a camera? Mount one on them, and they can help you scout ahead.

    "And in return, all you need to pay them is a stale cookie, a few peanuts, or even the leftover carrot ends from your kitchen, and they''ll work for you for half a day."

    "Hmm, now that you say it, it does seem pretty cost-effective. So, is this a high-dimensional artifact?"

    Before Liliem could speak, Yan Wu interjected, "Not all things with special abilities are high-dimensional artifacts. This treasure bead was made by the shamans of the Valkyrie People."

    Ma Lu had a strange look on his face, "But how did your shamans melt ss on Mount Everest? And there are colored patterns inside this, just like the ones sold at the entrance of my primary school."

    Liliem said, "The ss marble is just the carrier of the riding treasure bead. They are ones we picked up from mountaineers who met with idents, and the shamans infused them with the power of their souls to turn them into treasure beads."

    "I see."

    "When you use it, just put the bead in water, and the nearby mice will receive the soul signal ande to you. Then you canmunicate with them using the treasure bead. As long as themand isn''t tooplicated, they will understand and work for you in exchange for an agreed reward."

    Although Ma Lu couldn''t think of what he''d need mice for at his stall for the moment, one doesn''t turn down free things. So he thanked her and epted the bead.

    After they had eaten their fill, Jigina began to discuss work options with the Werewolf Boss. It seemed they wanted to find a job in City B and see if they could survive in human society.

    Only if their vanguard could establish themselves in this city was there any chance of persuading the elders in their tribe to move down from the mountains.

    But that was no easy task, mainly because the Valkyrie People''s physiques were so peculiar that they could only work for visitors from different dimensions.

    Luckily, Yan Wu traded in second-hand high-dimensional artifacts and knew plenty of customers, though it was unclear whether he could find them suitable employers.

    This wasn''t Ma Lu''s concern. After taking 200 Star Currency and an electronic wallet gifted by Yan Wu for holding the Star Currency, he went back to Aerospace University with Old Wang on their tricycle to continue running their stall.

    The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall was preparing to sell spicy hot pot this week.

    Unlike before, this time Ma Lu hadid out the menu before they set off, and had already listed all the ingredients and quantities needed in advance.

    Therefore, after arriving, he just needed to hunt for the game listed in the menu, and if something was not caught, they could fill in the gaps by directly purchasing from the bazaar using electricity.

    In the end, Ma Lu brought back a total of 150 jin of Earth Dragon Bones, 350 jin of Lava Giant Lizard Meat, and an additional 200 jin of Lava Giant Lizard Blood.

    The Earth Dragon Bones were used to simmer the soup base, while the Lava Giant Lizard Meat was made into meatballs, and the giant lizard blood turned into blood tofu.

    However, you definitely can''t have just meat in a spicy hot pot, so Ma Lu also went to the vegetable market and bought a good amount of vegetables, fungi, as well as processed foods like fish balls, tofu, ss noodles, and instant noodle cakes.

    After being nched in the 5-star ingredient Earth Dragon Bone soup base and topped with Old Wang''s specially concocted sesame sauce, even ordinary ingredients tasted several times better than the usual spicy hot pot.

    Before opening his stall, Ma Lu treated himself to a big bowl first.

    As for pricing, Ma Lu initially wanted to weigh the ingredients like other ces and charge based on the type and amount, butter found it too troublesome to weigh and calcte the prices of different ingredients.

    In the end, he simply standardized it: each bowl came with one meatball, one piece of blood tofu, and ordinary ingredients like leafy greens, tofu, and ss noodles were all maxed out, priced at 29 per serving.

    Since he cooked lunch at the courtyard for the Valkyrie People at noon, Ma Lu and Old Wang didn''t open the stall until 1:30 p.m. and closed up at 6:12 p.m., selling a total of 699 servings, earning an ie of 20,271 yuan, with thest serving left for Zhen Ye.

    In addition, after returning home in the evening, Ma Lu also received an email from Yu Yitong, which turned out to be the interview draft fromst time.

    Ma Lu skimmed through it, and Yu Yitong was unusually fair this time, reporting truthfully about the explosive poprity of The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall, the widely acimed taste, the incredible repeat purchase rate, and the high pricing unlike ordinary roadside stalls, as well as Aerospace University studentsining verbally but being very sincere in their actions...

    Unfortunately, she didn''t mention the real heavyweight scoop of the day at all, like when Yu Yitong asked Ma Lu to introduce Old Wang.

    Ma Lu told her very seriously that Old Wang was actually an alien, who would stand by the power socket to charge himself after work every day, could run faster than the Fuxing high-speed train even with a tricycle attached, and the top of his head had a slide-to-open brain hatch.

    Yu Yitong also randomly interviewed many diners that day. Hearing that everyone said the food at The Universe''s Number One Snack Stall was very good and fresh, she asked Ma Lu if he could reveal the supply channels.

    Ma Lu didn''t keep it a secret and told Yu Yitong that he sourced these by popping into a Different Dimension in his spare time, and thatst time he had a big fight with a Six-armed Ancient Ape that resembled King Kong.

    In the end, he even summoned a Scarab, symbolizing justice and reborn from the dead, to duel the Six-armed Ancient Ape in a sandstorm, resulting in both creatures dying dramatically. It was such a shocking scene that if made into a movie, he''d rmend watching it in an IMAX theater.

    While Yu Yitong patiently listened to Ma Lu''s answers and managed her facial expressions quite well at the time, she clearly didn''t believe this answer.

    Or perhaps she felt this content wasn''t appropriate for thepany app, as there wasn''t a single mention of it in the final draft of the interview.

    Ma Lu felt quite regretful about this, but since Yu Yitong wrote at the end of the article about the uing opening of Universe Infinite Canteen and even pointed out the new location, fulfilling their agreement, Ma Lu had noints about the interview.

    Furthermore, with the storefront design and installment wrapped up, the restaurant''s construction also nearedpletion. Ma Lu went for an inspection and found no major issues, so he paid the remaining bnce to Old He.

    He then took the time to bring over the second-hand tables, chairs, and stools previously ordered to the restaurant and notified the kitchen equipment supplier to deliver the goods.

    In terms of permits, Ma Lu had already run around a lot. All that was left was the food business license, which wasn''t yet secured.

    Being anxious now was of no use; Ma Lu hadpleted the initial application, but he still had to wait for the business department to inspect the renovation before he could obtain it.

    Overall, Universe Infinite Canteen was getting closer and closer to officially opening for business.

 Chapter 151: Chapter 151 73

    Since the renovation began, Ma Lu felt his energy had significantly decreased; yawning became a frequent part of his daily routine, so much so that he no longer found the time to y with his newly bought Switch, often copsing into bed as soon as he got home.

    Only when he took out his phone and saw the bnce in his bank ount did he feel slightly more awake.

    This week, the Earth Dragon Bone Spicy Hot Pot once again set a new record high in revenue for his food stall, with total earnings reaching 267,873 yuan.

    Although it was less than 4,000 yuan more than the previous week, and the costs had risen quite a bit, the actual profit had not increased by much.

    But the key point was that this time Ma Lu didn''t use up all the ingredients he brought back, about forty percent was still frozen in the fridge.

    That is to say, he only used about sixty percent of the ingredients, yet he achieved or even surpassed the previous profit margins.

    And it was all because of the miraculous dish, the Earth Dragon Bone Spicy Hot Pot.

    Ma Lu was willing to call it a divine recipe!

    At first, when he saw this recipe, he didn''t take it very seriously, as it called for a five-star ingredient like Earth Dragon bones, yet the dish it produced was only rated at ¡ï¡ï¡î.

    It was on the same level as Giant Lizard Grilled Sausage and Aromatic Brined Worms, but the issue was that those two dishes used only three-star ingredients.

    To have a five-star ingredient for a dish that wasparable to the oue using three-star ingredients seemed a bit ipetent.

    However, when Ma Lu looked at the other ingredients for this dish, his eyes paused, and a bold idea began to form in his mind.

    As everyone knows, the distinctive feature of spicy hot pot is that you can cook anything in it; as long as the soup and sauces are seasoned well, even leather shoes would taste delicious boiled in it.

    Ma Lu confirmed after some testing that the Earth Dragon Bone Spicy Hot Pot adhered to this feature as well.

    This meant that as long as the soulful broth maintained a certain concentration, he could freely adjust the items he put in the pot; he didn''t need to use ingredients from a Different Dimension to create a perfect spicy hot pot that had people licking their fingers and craving more!

    This discovery invigorated Ma Lu, giving him the sensation of exploiting a bug in a video game.

    Of course, as a merchant with morals, pursuit, and conscience, he couldn''t stoop to such dishonest acts like charging customers twenty to thirty yuan for swishing some potatoes, vermicelli, and instant noodles in the broth.

    So he chose to suffer a loss rather than forgo adding an extra meatball and a slice of blood tofu for everyone.

    Additionally, after testing in the past few days, Ma Lu discovered that broth made from twelve or thirteen pounds of bones could onlyst two days at most; by the third day, the vor would dilute, so he maintained a schedule of changing the broth every two days.

    He was determined to ensure that everyone could savor a spicy hot pot with a Deliciousness Index of at least ¡ï¡ï¡î.

    And in a society bing ever more restless, suchmitment was increasingly precious.

    In the end, Ma Lu tearfully noted an ie of over 180,000 yuan for the week, sessfully increasing his bank bnce from 325,431.7 to 511,033.6 yuan.

    The reason it was 180,000 rather than the total profit of 260,000 was that, besides paying the final instalment for the construction work, the main reason was the significantly higher electricity bill for the week.

    Ma Lu nced at the socket beside the sofa, which was originally where Old Wang and Bug Egg recharged.

    But this week, Bug Egg almost exclusively upied it, forcing Old Wang to charge by the TV stand, and Bug Egg charged for a full six days.

    ording to Old Wang, this was because Bug Egg was opening up a New Route and needed to replenish a huge amount of energy.

    Fortunately, it hadpleted its upgrade before Ma Lu set off on his journey this week.

    Although it seemed no different from the outside, Ma Lu ced it on top of his head again.

    As he shouted the phrase, "Universe all eggs, smooth passage through eggs!"

    The white egg atop his head jumped slightly, and in the next moment, Ma Lu''s mind was filled with various eggs, suddenly appearing.

    These familiar and unfamiliar eggs gathered together, forming a magnificent and gorgeous egg map that began to revolve around the white egg on top of his head.

    Ma Lu noticed that this time two lines lit up. One of them was the route that had taken him to Boggy''s dimension, and on the right side of this route, there was an unfamiliar new line.

    Ma Lu hesitated for a moment. If all went well, Universe Infinite Canteen could open as soon as next week, and it was always good to stock up on more ingredients at such a time.

    Returning to Giant Curtain was the most prudent option, as it would not only fill up the Collection Bag but also replenish the tabletop farm.

    But the allure of the new dimension was irresistible to Ma Lu. Not knowing was one thing, but now that the route was opened, it didn''t make sense not to take a look.

    Thinking of the seven travel rules he had written for traveling to different dimensions, especially thest one about maintaining a good mood, Ma Lu decided not to fret any longer. He resolved to follow his inner desire and visit the new dimension.

    After all, the worst-case scenario was merely having to return once, and if necessary, he could just sell Earth Dragon Bone Spicy Hot Pot for another week. It was no big deal.

    Just as Ma Lu made up his mind, his body lightened, and he was pulled by a mysterious force along the second beam of light, elerating constantly until he crashed into a strange green egg entwined with vines.

    Ma Lu opened his eyes to find himself standing in a dense forest, a far better reception than his first travel to a different dimension.

    The air, fresh with a mix of earthy and nt fragrances, seemed worth the price of the journey, and the fatigue he had umted from previous renovations dissipated significantly.

    Wherever he looked, there was vibrant life, as if he had walked into a nt kingdom, with both familiar and unfamiliar nts all around him.

    The most miraculous part was that the forest contained not only trees and flowers, various fungi, but also nts from different climatic zones in another dimension, all inexplicably growing together here.

    For instance, Ma Lu saw ntsmonly found in tropical rainforest climates like banana trees, Buddha belly nts, and lotus flowers. Surrounding them, there were violet, daisy, and lily-of-the-valley, which typically grow in temperate climates.

    Even more absurdly, the forest even hosted alpine nts like gentian and snow lotus, as well as cacti from tropical desert climates.

    Ma Lu felt the geographic knowledge he had learned in high school waspletely invalidated in this dimension, and the abnormal scene made him wary.

    This time, Ma Lu didn''t wait for danger to present itself but immediately took out the token from his pocket.

    He tossed the protective charm into the air and, timing it just right, pped it onto the back of his left hand.

    When he moved his palm away, a series of numbers had appeared where there had been nothing before.

    Ma Lu now knew that this series of somewhat mysterious numbers represented aw that could alter the rules governing this universe.

    To be honest, he found the Meat Pigeon Ability ... quite handy and wouldn''t mind continuing to use it here. However, the unpredictable fate clearly did not want him to step into the same river twice.

    So this time, the number that appeared was not 29, but 73.

 Chapter 152 Hellhound

    The sheltering hand of fate after giving Ma Lu a string of new numbers, went silent.

    Based on previous experience, another catalyst was likely needed to trigger the rule insertion before the Divine Artifact, the high-dimensional creation, could truly be activated.

    Ma Lu recalled in his mind that thest catalyst seemed to be when he had killed a Young me Lizard. Did this mean he also had to hunt a local ingredient toplete the activation here?

    Of course, this was just Ma Lu''s guess; after all, the sample was too small. Only one instance didn''t really prove anything.

    Still, Ma Lu turned on the food scanning function of his Traveler''s Bracelet, only to find that something eerie happened again¡ªafter a whole scan, there was no response at all.

    If the same thing had happened in the previous dimension, it would not have been surprising, given that food ingredients are inherently limited in a desert. Yet now, he was in the midst of a forest, and not just any forest but one where various nts were thriving robustly.

    With just his eyes, Ma Lu could spot many colorful mushrooms under the trees. If all these mushrooms were coincidentally poisonous and not considered ingredients, then the banana tree ten steps away with several bunches of bananas, though still green and underripe, was telling.

    Moreover, right at Ma Lu''s feet was a clump of daisies. Daisies are not only ornamental but also can be used for cooking.

    However, the Traveler''s Bracelet seemed to have suddenly "gone blind," ignoring so many potential ingredients right before his eyes.

    At this time, Ma Lu also noticed something else

    ¡ªthis forest was a little too quiet.

    He could hear the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the leaves, but small animalsmonly found in forests, such as squirrels, rabbits, and sparrows, were nowhere to be seen.

    Other than nts, there were only more nts. This raised a sense of caution in Ma Lu''s mind, so he decided to wander the woods a bit more to see if he could gather any new intelligence, thereby understanding this dimension better.

    And he had walked less than a hundred steps when he made a new discovery.

    Ma Lu saw an iron te among some vines. Although he couldn''t understand the writing on it, it looked very much like the signposts by the roadside in another dimension.

    This discovery also gave him a jolt of excitement; this sign was definitely not a natural growth of the forest, and its presence indicated that there might be intelligent life nearby.

    The only issue was the significant amount of rust on the iron te; it seemed to have been abandoned for a very long time, and there was no telling if the people who had originally ced the signpost were still around.

    Since Ma Lu didn''t have a particr direction to go, he decided to head in the direction the signpost pointed. After walking about a mile, passing through a patch of cold fir forest, he suddenly came upon a clearing.

    There, in the open space in front of him, stood a two-story building that resembled a small warehouse.

    But, like the signpost, it too had been deserted for a long time. Its walls were covered with vines and moss, and the ss was shattered.

    Ma Lu was still pondering whether to take a closer look when suddenly there was a rustling of branches from above and, immediately after, a dark shadow pounced down on him.

    Ma Lu barely had time to look up before his chest was struck heavily, sending him tumbling backwards to the ground beneath him.

    The sharp pain in his rib cage made Ma Lu somewhat regret making excuses not to use the rowing machine for a proper workout over the past two weeks.

    It could be said that due to the Meat Pigeon system, the increase in attributes had been too easy. Once ustomed to such levels of advancement, the thought ofborious exercise lost its appeal.

    But now, regret was useless. Ma Lu had already seen his attacker, a young girl wearing a bomber jacket.

    She had short purple hair with strands of gemstone blue intermixed, kneeling on Ma Lu''s chest, and also pressing a red short de against Ma Lu''s neck.

    Her brown pupils looked down condescendingly at her captive, as if she were assessing prey caught in a trap.

    "Struggle, vermin,e on, please me with your futile efforts!"

    As she spoke, she also rotated her knees, and seeing Ma Lu wince in pain brought a pure and innocent smile to her face.

    Then she brushed the hanging strands of hair behind her ear and stuck out her tongue, licking Ma Lu''s cheek.

    "You taste good, I like it. You''ll be delicious~"

    At that moment, Ma Lu''s attention was fixated on her right hand; he noticed that the arm holding the red short de was mechanical.

    However, his head was quickly twisted back by the purple-haired girl, "Don''t be distracted~ Next, I''m going to y open your chest. I n to start with your heart!"

    After saying this, the purple-haired girl aimed the red short de at Ma Lu''s right chest, but before she could stab down, another voice sounded from behind her.

    "It''s bad, A''Quan, Miss Bliss''s condition is deteriorating, and at this rate, she will be lost soon."

    A figure less than 1.5 meters tall stumbled out of the nearby bushes.

    That was also a young girl, wearing an eyepatch on her left eye and looking to be only in her teens. Unlike the purple-haired girl, she retracted her neck upon seeing Ma Lu, then immediately stopped in her tracks, unconsciously diverting her gaze to the side.

    "How many times have I told you not to call me A''Quan! Call me my full name, Hellhound."

    The purple-haired girl, upon hearing herpanion''s words, visibly irritated, grabbed her own hair, "Ah, really, everything was going smoothly when we set off, and it was so hard to get here."

    "Miss Bliss has always taken care of us at school," the eyepatched girl whispered as a reminder.

    "Shut up, Yun Que, I know," Hellhound said, her hair bing a mess as she clenched her teeth, "Once I kill this guy, we''ll return to Holy Temple City, where there''s a potion for mental recovery."

    "But the Knight, he''s already dead," Yun Que''s voice now carried a sob, "and we haven''tpleted our mission yet."

    "Stop your sniveling!" Hellhound shouted, "Just give me a moment to think of a solution."

    Upon hearing this, Yun Que immediately stopped her sobbing but still whimpered softly.

    Hellhound''s expression grew increasingly irate, until her gaze fell on Ma Lu again and her eyes lit up.

    She grabbed his cor, "Hey, you insect, your luck has turned. If you do as I say next, I might consider sparing your life."

    However, to her surprise, the man beneath her showed no expression of relief upon hearing her words.

    "My name is not ''insect,'' and I do not intend to follow your orders next."

    A sh of murderous intent crossed Hellhound''s eyes as she shook the red short de in her hand, "Are you seeking death?!"

    "Well, you can kill me, of course, but only if you''re not nning on caring about your friend''s life anymore," Ma Lu said calmly.

 Chapter 153 Chapter 153 Knight and Witch

    Ma Lu, although he still hadn''t figured out the situation of this ne, could tell that the two girls in front of him currently needed something from him.

    The circumstances had been reversed, and this was no time to be concerned about gentlemanly manners; his ribs were still hurting. Since he had discovered his opponent''s weakness, there was no reason not to take advantage of it.

    The murderous intent in the Hellhound''s eyes grew stronger, "Are you threatening me?"

    "Yes, what about it?" Ma Lu admitted frankly.

    "You''re bold, but unfortunately too weak. I could kill you at any moment."

    The Hellhound moved the red short de forward another half inch, almost piercing Ma Lu''s skin.

    But Ma Lu''s expression remained calm, and his gaze towards the purple-haired girl even contained a hint of provocation.

    This was a contest of courage, but the suspense was over from the very first moment.

    Because Ma Lu was not afraid of death; after all, he was only a projection. If it was destroyed, he''d just lose a week''s worth of food supplies at most.

    As for the two girls opposite him, they clearly both cared a great deal for theirpanion.

    In the end, the Hellhound''s de did not continue to descend, "What do you want?"

    "How about... you get off me first?" Ma Lu said, "Then we can have a proper chat."

    Hearing this, the purple-haired girl hesitated for a moment but ultimately removed her knee from Ma Lu''s chest, albeit reluctantly.

    Ma Lu also sat up from the ground, brushed off the bits of grass root clinging to his clothes, and checked his chest to make sure his ribs were not broken before looking towards the two girls again.

    "Who are you, and why did you attack me?"

    "Hah? I thought you would ask something else. Can you not even recognize who we are?" The Hellhound scoffed and then moved half a step closer, speaking with a split smile.

    "We are witches, destined to fall into the abyss from birth, evil witches at that. Just by talking to us, you''ll be tainted with sin. How does that sound, are you scared now?"

    However, Ma Lu''s subsequent reply once again stunned her.

    "Witch, what is a witch? Please exin in more detail. Also, you mentioned something about knights, and Holy Temple City; what are these?"

    "Are you an idiot? Not even knowing such basic things."

    The Hellhound sized up Ma Lu again, then brought her nose closer and sniffed him thoroughly.

    Her expression changed immediately, "Interesting, you really don''t have the scent of that city on you. No wonder I thought you smelled good at first, but how is that possible?"

    Yun Que interjected, "Could he be someone from ''over there''?"

    Her suggestion was immediately met with a smack on the head from the Hellhound, "Are you an idiot? He''s a man, not a witch, how could he possibly be from ''over there''?"

    Yun Que quickly crouched, protecting her head, "A''Quan, you''ve never been over there, how do you know there aren''t any men?"

    "That''s also true," the Hellhound said as she knocked on Yun Que''s head again.

    "Ow, why did you hit me again?" Yun Queined, feeling aggrieved.

    "Because I said not to call me A''Quan anymore. You''re so grown up and still can''t remember anything?"

    After speaking, Hellhound turned her head to look at Ma Lu, "Interesting. It seems you really don''t know what a Witch is. Let me answer that for you."

    "A Witch," she exined, "refers to a maiden who possesses magic power, can endure mechanical transformations, and uses Magic Weapons."

    "Magic Weapons?" Ma Lu pointed to the red short de in Hellhound''s hand. "Like this one?"

    Stay updated through empire

    "Exactly."

    "Then what are these Magic Weapons used for?"

    "You really don''t know anything, do you?" Hellhound didn''t directly answer the question, but ominously added, "You''d better pray that you never need to find out."

    "And the Knights?" Ma Lu pointed at Yun Que and continued, "She just said that your Knight is dead."

    "I know about this," Yun Que finally found an opportunity to interject, eagerly answering, "The Church''s matrons say that Witches are born bearing endless sin. Our purpose in existence is to absolve this sin, and aside from prayer, the only way to do so is through battle."

    She paused before continuing, "But since the Witches are sinners and can easily be lost, they can''t act alone¡ªthey must be under themand and supervision of a Knight. The Knight is our master, and we must obey theirmands unconditionally."

    "Bullshit!" snorted Hellhound. "What Knight, master. Those guys are so weak, I could crush them with one hand, even in armor. I''m not about to take orders from anyone weaker than me."

    "However... once a Knight falls in battle, their Witches also get killed by the Church for failing to protect their master," Yun Que said softly, her small face filled with terror.

    "Our Sir Knight is already dead, what do we do when we get back?"

    "What''s there to fear? We have a ready-made guy right here," Hellhound nudged her chin toward Ma Lu.

    "Huh?"

    "Hmm?"

    Ma Lu and Yun Que looked at Hellhound together. The purple-haired girl adjusted her hair and proudly announced her n.

    "Those Knights took their oaths in armor, spending all day in heavy te; nobody knows what they look like underneath. As long as it''s a human, they can pass the Holy Stone''s test.

    "So, it''s no big deal if a Knight dies; just rece him. And the old fools at the Church would never guess that we could pick up a regr person out here. Hahahaha, look at that, it''s your lucky day.

    "That''s a Knight''s title, after all. ording to Church tradition, it''s a sacred profession you only get throughyers of selection and brutal elimination, different from us evil Witches. Knights are the embodiment of justice, countless kids in the city dream of bing one."

    Ma Lu didn''t respond immediately but instead asked another question, "What about the mission? Weren''t you out here on a mission?"

    The purple-haired girl red at Yun Que with annoyance. It was all this girl''s fault for having such a big mouth; despite the presence of a stranger, she spilled everything, and now they were left in this passive situation when they could have subdued this human with force already.

    Yun Que, intimidated by the re, even shifted closer to Ma Lu.

    Hellhound snorted, "You don''t need to worry about the mission; we''llplete it."

    But no sooner had she spoken than Yun Que started to blurt out, "No, we can''t do it. Sister Bliss is already on the edge of losing herself and can''t take action anymore. Just the two of us... without themand of Sir Knight, it''s impossible toplete the mission."

    "Shut up already!" Hellhound said irritably. "If I say we can, we can. If you''re scared, then I''ll go alone!"

 Chapter 154 Chapter 154 Ring of Order

    "What''s your mission?" Ma Lu asked curiously.

    "To find a silver suitcase," Yun Que responded, "ording to the Church''s intelligence, that suitcase is in the warehouse up ahead."

    "Who''s guarding that suitcase?"

    "Stop asking so many questions; it''s none of your business," Hellhound said impatiently, "You guys wait here for me. After I stealthily get in and find the box, I''lle out and meet up with you."

    "But..." Yun Que wanted to say more when the purple-haired girl''s hand was already on her head, her tone forceful.

    "No buts, you stay here to take care of Bliss and watch this guy. Don''t let him run away!"

    "I won''t run," Ma Lu said.

    "That''s for the best, don''t say I didn''t warn you. This forest is full of dangers; you won''t survive on your own without us," Hellhound finished, then brought her lips close to Ma Lu''s ear and whispered softly.

    "You''re the man I''ve set my sights on; if you''re to die, it should be by my consumption."

    "That''s not necessary."

    The purple-haired girl let out a string of bell-likeughter, then grabbed the red short de and headed toward the warehouse not far away without looking back.

    She didn''t take the main entrance but instead climbed up a drainage pipe on the side and directly onto the second floor, moving agilely like a monkey, then jumped through a window that was half missing its ss.

    Only when her figure had vanished did Ma Lu turn his gaze back to Yun Que.

    Yun Que immediately tensed up, took a half step back, but then, perhaps remembering Hellhound''sst orders, she forced herself to stand tall again and tried to mimic the purple-haired girl''s tone,

    "You... don''t try anything funny, or when A''Quanes back, you''re going to... you''re going to have it bad!"

    "Okay," Ma Lu said, "But we''re idling around anyway, so might as well chat a bit more." Continue your adventure with empire

    "Ha, don''t think I don''t know what you''re up to; you''re trying to get information out of me while A''Quan is away. Dream on, my lips are sealed; I won''t tell you anything!"

    Yun Que was quite alert this time, spotting some people''s little schemes right away.

    But... that''s as far as it went.

    Compared to Hellhound, who was fickle and always talking about eating you up, Yun Que, a simple girl, was obviously much easier to deal with.

    Ma Lu''s expression turned serious, "You''ve misunderstood me; I really do want to gather more information, but it''s for the safety of both of us."

    "For our... safety?" Yun Que asked, puzzled, "Why would knowing more make us safer?"

    "You heard Hellhound''s n earlier. She wants me to take the ce of the deceased knight and return to Holy Temple City with you. But if I have no knowledge about knights, the Church, or the city you live in, how could I possibly fool the Church''s people?"

    "What you''re saying makes a lot of sense," Yun Que agreed, nodding repeatedly, but then her face showed uncertainty again, "But about A''Quan..."

    "She just told you to keep an eye on me so I wouldn''t run, she didn''t say you couldn''t talk to me, right? And she herself answered many of my questions just now, which shows she doesn''t oppose me talking to people."

    "Oh, that''s right!" Yun Que pped her forehead, "What else do you want to talk about?"

    "Let''s talk more about knights. Since you want me to y one of your knights, you should at least let me understand more about knights. By the way, how did your knight die?"

    "Um... We were ambushed on the way here, and the knight¡ªhe, he was identally killed in battle."

    Yun Que''s eyes flickered as she answered this question, and she would lift herself up onto her tiptoes unintentionally.

    It was clear she was not telling the truth, but to avoid making the young girl suspicious, Ma Lu didn''t dwell on the matter and continued to inquire.

    "How do Knights usuallymand your battles?"

    This time, Yun Que responded quickly, "Sir Knight will act alongside us, issue battlemands, monitor fluctuations in our Sin Value, and grant us permission to use Magic Weapons."

    "Wait, you need authorization to use Magic Weapons?"

    "That''s right, because Magic Power is very dangerous. Every time a Witch uses Magic Power, shees a step closer to the abyss, and her Sin Value increases. When the Sin Value exceeds the threshold, Witches be lost."

    "What happens if they be lost?"

    "They lose all sense and turn into terrible monsters, and it also triggers a terribly frightening heavenly punishment."

    As Yun Que spoke, she also shrank her neck, her little face full of fear.

    "Only the Church possesses the Holy Water that can cleanse Witches of their sins, so after the battle, we return to the Cathedral in the city to receive baptism, provided weplete the task and Sir Knight is still alive."

    "I see," Ma Lu stroked his chin, "I roughly understand the rtionship between Knights and Witches and between yourselves and the Church, but... there are some details I still don''t quite grasp, like how do Knights monitor the Sin Value on you? And how do they grant your weapons ess?"

    Yun Que hesitated before, probably thinking that Ma Lu would sooner orter learn if he were to pretend to be a Knight, then pointed to a silver cor around her neck.

    "This is the Ring of Order, specially crafted by the Church for Witches, and it''s linked to the Knight''s Armor."

    "Oh, then where is the Knight''s Armor?"

    "It''s in..." Yun Que was about to reveal the location, but at thest second became wary, "Hmph, I won''t tell you!"

    But no sooner had her words fallen silent than a loud crash came from a warehouse not far away!

    The windows of the building, already barely having any ss, were shaken even more bare.

    Yun Que''s face changed color as she eximed, "This is bad, A''Quan has been discovered!"

    After waiting for a while without seeing herpanion emerge from the warehouse, her panic grew.

    Yun Que''s legs were shaking, but, gritting her teeth, she decided to rush towards the warehouse.

    However, before she could take a step, someone pressed down on her head.

    This familiar action made Yun Que feel dazed for a moment, thinking that the guy with purple hair had returned, until she heard Ma Lu''s voice by her ear,

    "Hey, calm down, will you? Without the Knight, you can''t use your Magic Weapon, and charging in there is just a death wish."

    Far from calming down, these words only turned Yun Que into a sobbing wreck.

    "Wuu wuu wuu, it''s all over, we are all going to die here today! Wuu~"

    The girl cried harder and harder.

    "No, it''s not time to despair yet. You need to pull yourself together, tell me where the Knight''s Armor is, so I can help you activate your weapon," Ma Lu said.

    With his reminder, Yun Que stopped crying and said with a sniffle, "Then, then I''ll take you there."

 Chapter 155 Chapter 155 Coming

    Fortunately, the location where the knight was killed was not far from the warehouse. The two of them ran like mad and reached their destination in just 5 minutes.

    Under arge banyan tree, Ma Lu saw a corpse propped up and sitting there.

    Because Hellhound and Yun Que kept calling him "knight, knight," Ma Lu mistook the armor he was wearing for the type from the Middle Ages.

    But in reality, the armor looked more like the mechanical suits from "Halo".

    Ma Lu walked up to the body, gave it a once over from head to toe, and noticed many dents and pits; he couldn''t tell if they came from the recent ambush or an earlier battle.

    However, the significant issue didn''t seem to be so bad¡ªthe real fatal wound was a pierced hole in the chest, where the armor had been thoroughly prated by some sharp weapon.

    The moment Ma Lu saw this wound, the first thing that shed in his mind was the red short de held by the purple-haired girl.

    Then he reached out to remove the helmet from the knight''s head, revealing a young face.

    The knight had his eyes wide open, wearing an expression of shock and anger, seemingly unable to believe that he had died this way.

    Before Ma Lu had the chance to find more clues, Yun Que already urged from behind, "Hurry up, are you done?! A''Quan is still waiting for us!"

    Ma Lu handed the helmet over casually, "You operate it."

    However, the girl immediately shook her head like a rattle-drum, "No, only ordinary humans can wear this suit of armor, witches can''t, and just the helmet won''t do. You have to wear the whole thing to activate it."

    "The whole thing? This thing must weigh at least 200 pounds, how am I supposed to walk in it?"

    Just the sprint of five minutes had almost killed Ma Lu¡ªhe figured that wearing the entirety of the armor, he might only be able to crawl.

    "Don''t worry, the armor itselfes with a power system that will make your actions easier, not harder," Yun Que said, "I''ll help you put it on."

    "Alright then."

    Together, Ma Lu and Yun Que took nearly 10 minutes to don the armor.

    And when Ma Lu finally put on the helmet, a silver circle appeared on the disy screen in front of him, very reminiscent of the Ring of Order worn around the necks of Yun Que and the others.

    But by then, Ma Lu''s attention was no longer there.

    Because he finally heard the long-awaited prompt, which did note from the suit of armor on his body but from the Traveler''s Bracelet on his hand.

    [Attention, attention, attention¡­ Special high-dimensional energy detected, inserting new rules into the current universe.]

    [Rule insertionplete¡­ Trigger condition met, extra functions will now be activated.]

    [Function No. 73]

    [Congrattions on your sessful ss change to Knight. Your exclusive module will now be initiated. Please note that this module can only be activated while wearing the armor. Synchronizing with the armor, synchronizing 1%, 2%, ¡­ 97%]

    Ma Lu''s spirits lifted¡ªfinally, the function No. 73 had arrived!

    When the synchronization reached 100%, the screen that disyed the silver circle symbolizing order, along with all the characters and strange icons Ma Lu did not recognize, suddenly disappeared.

    In their ce was a clean, intuitive, and very immediate GUI.

    In the top left corner were the Knight Level and experience bar, and on the right were connected diamond-shaped blocks,beled Formation, Quest, Contact, and Combat.

    But what was most unbelievable wasn''t just this¡ªthe truly outrageous part was that this thing even had a mascot girl!

    Ma Lu looked at the live 2D version of Yun Que in the middle of the screen¡ªeven her timid expression was copied perfectly.

    Tapping it prompted the live 2D Yun Que to assume her signature crouch and hug her head, murmuring softly, "No, Sir Knight, if you touch me I won''t grow any taller!"

    Ma Lu was utterly astounded.

    What the heck is this?!

    He had no idea which way the wind was blowing for the protection of fate this time, but the style had abruptly changed, granting him such a two-dimensional golden finger.

    He had heard of itasha, itachari... but he never expected the golden finger to be so otaku.

    Fortunately, no one outside could see the screen inside the helmet; otherwise, wearing this thing into Holy Temple City would probably get him burned at the stake by the Church as a heretic.

    However, Ma Lu only remarked casually, for he always abided by the principle that if I am not embarrassed, then it''s others who should feel embarrassed.

    So pain wasn''t a problem, as long as the ''hanging open'' was in ce. Not to mention a mere poster girl, even turning him into a poster girl wouldn''t be an issue.

    Yun Que, standing on the side, saw that Ma Lu didn''t respond for a while and started to urge him again, "Aren''t you ready yet? A''Quan is still waiting for us to rescue him!"

    "Yeah, yeah, let''s go."

    Ma Lu tried to take a step and, sure enough, it was hardly any effort. It was like the armor was carrying him, a feeling somewhat simr to an exoskeleton.

    As the two of them hurried to the warehouse, Ma Lu was still studying the functions disyed on the screen.

    Levels and experience bars need no exnation. The diamond-shaped blockbeled ''Quest'' was the same, leading to a church-issued task to find a box. The contact block was grayed out.

    So right now, the only usable features were actually ''Team Formation'' and ''Combat'', oh... and ''Poster Girl'', which could be ignored.

    Ma Lu first looked at the team formation. Currently, his squad had three members: Yun Que, Hellhound, and Bliss Bird.

    Among them, Yun Que''s health bar was full.

    HP: 32/32

    Sin Value: 5/17

    Attack Power: 5

    Defensive Power: 2

    Attack Attribute: Physical

    Suggested Position: Shooter

    ording to the previous exnation by the poster girl, Sin Value should be like a rather special mana bar.

    Releasing skills would increase Sin Value, and it was essential to note that Sin Value must not exceed the limit; otherwise, the Witch would enter a negative state called ''Lost.''

    Speaking of skills, Ma Lu continued to read. Yun Que had two skills, a passive skill called [Aiming Lock] that doesn''t consume mana and an active skill called [Rapid-fire Cannon] that increases Sin Value by 5 points with each use.

    Ma Lu then nced at Yun Que''s max Sin Value, which meant she could only use her active skill three times when at full state. Moreover, she currently had 5 points of Sin Value, indicating she had already used a skill previously and could use it only two more times at most.

    Indeed, the position of poster girl suited her best.

    Byparison, the other two members of the squad were much more reliable.

    Character: Hellhound

    HP: 41/74

    Sin Value: 23/49

    Attack Power: 12

    Defensive Power: 5

    Attack Attribute: Fire.

    Skill: [Hell''s Roar], [You Look Delicious], [Bloodthirst]

    Character: Bliss Bird (Unconscious)

    HP: 78/88

    Sin Value: 74/75

    Attack Power: 5

    Defensive Power: 4

    Attack Attribute: Wood.

    Skill: [Evesting Life], [May My Lord Watch Over You], [Blissful Song]

    Having finished reading, Ma Lu couldn''t help but sneak another nce at Yun Que next to him.

    This guy... it was one thing to be all-around weaker in attributes, but how did he manage to have even one less skill than the others?!

 Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Battle Module

    ```

    The formation module allowed Ma Lu to quickly understand the three witches in his team, butpared to the Meat Pigeon mode of the previous realm, this at best could be considered a convenience feature.

    Ma Lu''s eyes shifted to thest avable diamond-shaped modulebat.

    If there were any features that could greatly enhancebat capabilities in this cheat, they would likely be found within the upgrade andbat systems.

    Given that upgrades were not currently an option, thebat system was the most likely to be of immediate use.

    As he opened thebat module, a chessboard unfolded on the circr screen in front of him the next moment.

    ¡ª¡ªLines intersecting horizontally and vertically created a grid, upon which were shadows of hills, forests, streams...

    Ma Lu even located the abandoned warehouse right in front of them on the chessboard, and although it was just awork of lines, the representation was very urate.

    Moreover, Ma Lu found that he could zoom in on any area of the chessboard, adjust the perspective, and even enter the interiors of buildings.

    For example, the warehouse in front of them¡ªalthough he still couldn''t see specific details¡ªthe internal structure of the building, including theyout of the rooms and the hallway outside, was clearly presented.

    Ma Lu noticed that inside one of the second-floor rooms there was 1 small blue dot tangled with 2 small red dots, while 4 more small red dots were quickly approaching the door down the hall.

    Next, Ma Lu clicked on the Hellhound''s avatar above the blue dot, and three options popped up: establishmunication, unlock weapon, and self-destruct; he chose the first.

    "Hey, hey, hey, can you hear me talking?"

    "Knight?!!!"

    A surprised voice came from the Hellhound on the other end, but she quickly caught on, "No, the Knight is already dead, who are you?!"

    "No time to exin, you''re about to be surrounded. Leave that room quickly while you still have time," said Ma Lu.

    "Why should I trust some shady guy?" retorted the Hellhound, wary.

    Meanwhile, Ma Lu heard the sound of fighting from the other side, and the Hellhound''s HP dropped by 4 points to 37.

    "You''re injured. Getting surrounded will be troublesome."

    "Mind your own business!" bellowed the Hellhound, "Whoever you are, since you''re wearing the Knight''s armor, just unlock my weapon already. I want to kill all these annoying bastards!"

    "No," Ma Lu refused without hesitation; in addition to the previous 4 small red dots, he saw another 6 moving towards the second floor.

    Their HP was also visible to Ma Lu, among them one particrly tough character with over a hundred HP. Even if the Hellhound activated a skill to throw herself into a Lost State, it was highly unlikely she''d clear them out.

    Nevertheless, he didn''t argue with the Hellhound, simply stating calmly, "I won''t give you ess to weapon permissions. The first wave of enemies will reach the outside of your room in about 4 seconds."

    The Hellhound scoffed, "4 seconds, you speak as if you know exactly when they''ll show up."

    Although she said this, she still clenched her teeth and rushed out of the room¡ªafter all, with her weapon not activated, staying there was a dead end.

    As soon as she poked her head out, she came face-to-face with the enemy rushing from the other end of the hallway.

    The purple-haired girl''s pupils shrank sharply, and as she contemted how to deal with the unfavorable situation before her, that damn voice rang in her ear once more.

    "Run east, find a way into the fourth room on your left."

    ```

    "Why should I follow yourmands?!"

    The Hellhound cursed and swore, but the west was already blocked, and she had no choice but to turn and run east.

    However, she had barely taken two steps when she heard noisesing from the esctor on the other side of the corridor.

    The Hellhound stopped in her tracks, knowing what this meant¡ªthe worst-case scenario had happened¡ªshe was trapped in a pincer attack!

    The purple-haired girl''s first reaction was to curse the person issuingmands randomly, but then she thought that if she had stayed in that room, she would have been thoroughly trapped by now, so she shut her mouth and started counting the rooms obediently.

    Even though the Hellhound didn''t understand why that mysterious voice had led her out of the encirclement only to guide her into a dead end, she was now roughly in the center of the warehouse, and this row of rooms didn''t have any windows.

    In other words, ducking into a room was basically no different from walking into a trap.

    However, the purple-haired girl was out of options. By the time she found the fourth room, her pursuers had caught up, and the Hellhound noticed that the door to that room was locked.

    But that didn''t stop her. The Hellhound kicked up a foot, breaking open the decayed door, and rushed in without hesitation.

    After scanning the surroundings, she spotted arge hole in the floor, and a smug smile spread across the purple-haired girl''s face; this time, she didn''t need Ma Lu tomand her to know what to do.

    The Hellhound leaped, jumping through the hole.

    "Keep going straight!" the voice rang in her ears afternding.

    The emergence from a desperate situation made the purple-haired girl''s heart suddenly see the light, and even the voice in her ear didn''t sound as annoying anymore. She also finally managed to spare some brainpower for matters other than escape, identifying the owner of the voice behind it.

    "It''s you!" the Hellhound eximed, running as she spoke, "Why are you wearing knight''s armor?"

    "Wasn''t it you who wanted me to be your knight?" Ma Lu retorted.

    "Hah, you just got lucky and guessed right," the Hellhound paused, then asked, "Have you entered the warehouse too?"

    "No, but Yun Que and I are close, just hang in there a bit longer."

    The Hellhound hesitated, "If you''re not here, how did you know I was being attacked? And about that escape route, have you been here before? No, even if you had been here, there''s no way you''d know where those annoying bastards woulde from."

    "This is the art ofmand, you wouldn''t understand," Ma Lu said, "Just do as I say, I''ll help you n a route to get out."

    But this time, it was the Hellhound''s turn to refuse, "No, I must get that silver box, I already know where it is!"

    "Don''t overdo it, you''re already hurt."

    "It''s just a minor injury, it doesn''t matter," the Hellhound said, "If it weren''t for you refusing to unlock my weapons, I would have killed all those in my way!"

    "No, you need to conserve your magic power for something more important,"

    While Ma Lu responded offhand, he continued to study the chessboard in front of him, which held more information than he had expected.

    Not only did it show the terrain and the number of friends and foes, but it also disyed their HP, and even the enemies'' names and weaknesses were all marked.

    This truly was a ssic version of Battle g II.

    When Ma Lu''s gaze fell on the names of those red dots, he couldn''t help but reveal a strange expression.

 Chapter 157 Vegetable Meeting

    ¡ª¡ªPotato Heavy Shield Soldier, Enoki Mushroom Assassin, Mint Hypnotist, Exploding Tomato¡­

    What the heck is this?!

    Ma Lu had thought the mascot girl on the main screen was abstract enough, but he hadn''t expected even more bizarre things toe.

    Turns out the fight he had at the abandoned warehouse with the Hellhound was just against a bunch of vegetables?

    Ma Lu suspected he had read it wrong, so he closed his eyes and opened them again, only to find that the names on those little red dots hadn''t changed.

    Moreover, as he approached the forsaken warehouse, his Traveler''s Bracelet gave a response.

    Ma Lu received several notifications in a row.

    ¡ª¡ªDing! Congrattions on discovering a 1-star ingredient "Potato Heavy Armor Soldier," the "Potato Heavy Armor Soldier" handbook has been unlocked.

    ¡ª¡ªDing! Congrattions on discovering a 1-star ingredient "Bok Choy Scout," the "Bok Choy Scout" handbook has been unlocked.

    ¡ª¡ªDing! Congrattions on discovering a 1-star ingredient "Cucumber Skull Crusher," the "Cucumber Skull Crusher" handbook has been unlocked.

    ......

    Ma Lu quickly stopped Yun Que, who was about to push open the big door, "Don''t, that ce is full of people, oh no, vegetables¡­ you can''t beat them."

    Yun Que might be a bitcking when ites tobat, her attack power barelyparable to a healing mother, and she even has one less skill than others, but she has her merits, one of which is she''s very obedient.

    Unlike the Hellhound, the purple-haired girl almost had "rebellious" written all over her face. Byparison, even in times of obviously insufficient affection, Yun Que would still perfectly execute the knight''smands.

    "There are fewer enemies in the back; we''ll enter from the rear door and try to defeat them one by one."

    Actually, the safest approach would be to climb up the drainpipe to the second floor like the Hellhound and stealthily infiltrate, but Ma Lu was now d in armor, making it difficult to aplish climbing movements.

    And Yun Que didn''t seem like someone who was good at physical activities either.

    So, the two of them decided to faithfully execute the n of nking from the back.

    The Chessboard Map showed only one red dot at the back door, named ¡ª Cauliflower Thinker.

    Yeah, just by the sound of that name, it seemed easy; the Cauliflower Thinker''s HP was only 19/19, even less than Yun Que''s, and its defense was merely a single point.

    Additionally, the nearest ming Chili Pepper was thirty meters away, and with its speed, it would take at least seven seconds to move here.

    Therefore, Ma Lu resolutely pushed the door open and simultaneously unlocked Yun Que''s weapon usage permissions.

    Upon Ma Lu''s reminder, Yun Que had already drawn her ck pistol, kneeling on one knee, ready for battle.

    She also removed the eyepatch from her left eye, revealing the mechanical eye underneath.

    Ma Lu noticed that Yun Que''s passive skill [Aiming Lock] that doesn''t consume mana was also activated.

    The girl looked nervous, her arms trembling slightly, yet the desire to rescue herrades ultimately overcame the fear in her heart.

    As the iron door in front of them opened, the enemy''s figure also entered their field of view.

    It was a humanoid monster with the build of an adult male, but its body was made up of leaves and stalks, and on its shoulders, not a head, but a giant cauliflower rested.

    It sat on a container, assuming the ssic pose of The Thinker.

    Yun Que didn''t hesitate, she immediately moved her gun muzzle and aimed at the Broli Thinker not far away, pulling the trigger.

    A bullet, glowing with white light, struck the Broli Thinker''s head urately!

    With the sound of a bang, pale yellow buds sttered everywhere!

    Ma Lu noticed that the Broli Thinker''s HP dropped by 4 points, exactly the damage dealt by Yun Que''s attack minus its defense.

    However, its stem and leafy body merely shook as if confused about why it was wounded.

    Does this thing have no hearing? Seems like it''s alsocking in sight.

    Ma Lu carefully observed the enemy''s reaction from the sidelines.

    The Broli Thinker had already turned in a circle on the spot, but it still didn''t seem to notice the two people not far away.

    Just when Ma Lu thought it would be kited to death like this, he saw the initially sluggish Broli Thinker suddenly turn its "head" towards him, then it jumped off the container and charged in his direction.

    Luckily, it wasn''t very fast, so Ma Lu easily dodged it with the help of his power armor and even managed tond a punch on its head.

    The punch made the Broli Thinker retreat half a step, but it seemed as if it could not feel any pain and quickly closed in again.

    "Be careful, Sir Knight!" warned Yun Que. "These energized nts are tough and resilient,cking the weaknesses of ordinary creatures. They can also self-heal. Only magic weapons can truly inflict real damage on them."

    Ma Lu nced at the Broli Thinker, its HP was indeed still at 15/19, unchanged.

    Conversely, when Yun Que''s second bullet hit it, its HP dropped by another 4 points to 11/19.

    Yun Que then sped up her firing rate, taking out the Broli Thinker with three shots. The girl wiped the sweat from her forehead, looking expectantly at Ma Lu beside her.

    Thetter didn''t skimp on his praise, touched the girl''s head, and said, "Well done, you did great!" Read thetest on empire

    A look of joy covered Yun Que''s face.

    In contrast, some were not so obedient. Ma Lu had already told the Hellhound to retreat from the warehouse, but perhaps due to ack of affection, the Hellhoundpletely ignored hismand and started acting on her own, rushing towards the location of the briefcase.

    Ma Lu didn''t bother with her any further, as she wasn''t in any immediate danger for the time being. He focused his attention on the enemies in front of him.

    Together with Yun Que, he continued to attack the nearby ming Chili Pepper, which was clearly more difficult to handle than the Broli Thinker, though their HP was about the same.

    But the ming Chili Pepper moved more swiftly and could even spray zing mes from its rear!

    Yun Que ran and shot at the same time, trying to keep her distance from the ming Chili Pepper, but she still almost got licked by the me. In the end, Ma Lu stepped in and used his armor to block it for her.

    Yun Que kept shooting from behind the armor, taking the opportunity to harvest thest bit of the ming Chili Pepper''s health.

    Ma Lu looked at the charred grass around him, raising an eyebrow. These vegetables, though their names sounded a bit silly and their appearances were quite magical, indeed had some substance, showing suchbat strength at only 1-star.

    Each had a special skill, and encountering higher-starred onester on would probably be even more challenging.

    But those were concerns forter. Ma Lu nced at his experience bar; the Broli Thinker and ming Chili Pepper had provided him with 3 and 4 experience points respectively, still a distance away from the 100 points needed for leveling up.

    Ma Lu nned to first raise his Knight Level to 2 and in the meantime, study the various abilities of those peculiar nt people in the warehouse.

 Chapter 158 Walking the Grid

    "Wake up, Sir Knight... wake up, the battle is over,"

    Ma Lu felt someone pushing his shoulder in a groggy state and instinctively tried to reach out and rub his eyes, but ended up punching himself in the face, apanied by the sound of steel shing and his head buzzing.

    However, this also snapped Ma Lu out of his previous drowsiness. It took him about two seconds to remember where he was and why he had passed out.

    Just three minutes ago, Ma Lu, with Yun Que, had intended to clear out a Mint Hypnotist, which was hiding in the room before him.

    This creature''s HP was a mere two points less than that of the Cauliflower Thinker, at a pathetic seventeen points, but its ability was extremely annoying, capable of forcibly hypnotizing all creatures within a five-meter radius.

    And, whether by coincidence or not, the corner where the creature crouched was exactly five meters in a straight line from the doorway.

    In other words, anyone trying to enter the room would be hypnotized by the Mint Hypnotist inside upon opening the door.

    This positioning could be described as malicious.

    Fortunately, Ma Lu had already discovered its presence through the Chessboard Map and had even clicked on the avatar to read the Mint Hypnotist''s basic information. Read new adventures at empire

    However, the problem resurfaced; Ma Lu could onlymand the Witch Yun Que at the moment. Without opening the door, there was no way to deal with the Mint Hypnotist inside, but once the door was opened, Yun Que would be hypnotized.

    Thus, Ma Lu''s final choice was... to go in himself.

    In thest twenty minutes, he had alreadymanded Yun Que to eliminate fourteen enemies, and he had gradually formed a clear strategy on how to use Yun Que.

    Yun Que had low attack power and thin armor, incapable of dealing significant damage or holding her ground, but as an archer, she had a hidden advantage¡ªreach.

    This meant that with sufficiently skillful positioning, Yun Que could exploit the opponent''s damage like crazy in the early stages ofbat.

    Even if it was just scratching, enough scratches could be fatal.

    And after activating the Chessboard Map, what Ma Lu was best at was maneuvering through the grid.

    By monitoring the movement routes of the Energized nts, he could avoid enemy clusters, hunt down lone targets, and theplicated environment of the abandoned warehouse provided many terrains that could be exploited, which greatly expanded Ma Lu''s operational space.

    This was also why Yun Que, with only five points of attack power and thirty-two points of HP, could continuously defeat tough enemies under hismand.

    On the other hand, Ma Lu was constantly thinking of ways to develop his own usefulness.

    Yes, although his current situation resembled ying a strategy board game, unlike typical games of that genre, Ma Lu, as the yer or rather themander, was also on the board and considered a unit.

    Even though Ma Lu, being an ordinary person without magical power, couldn''t deal effective damage to the Energized nts, he had noticed during his defense against the ming Chili Pepper''s fire attacks that the Knight''s Armor provided by the Church seemed particrly resistant.

    The armor had been sprayed with mes for a full seven or eight seconds, with the temperature inside rising less than five degrees, and Ma Lu, the wearer, waspletely unharmed.

    Afterward, he clicked on his own blue avatar and saw the following attributes:

    HP: 45/45

    Armor: 87/100

    Attack Power: 0

    Defensive Power: 9(¡ý)

    The row for "Attack Power" was a ring zero, and though his HP could be considered average, his "Armor" and "Defensive Power" were quite impressive¡ªespecially the "Defensive Power," which was higher than the attacks of many "Energized nts."

    There was a downward arrow behind that stat, which Ma Lu guessed was due to the prating injury on his chest. If it could be repaired, his "Defensive Power" might increase even more, but that was a problem forter.

    Realizing his own high defense and thick armor, Ma Lu consciously took on some of the tank''s responsibilities, drawing fire at critical moments to protect the team''s ranged units.

    He had also taken it upon himself to trigger traps and attract monsters.

    After charging in and busting open the door, Ma Lu was unsurprisingly put to sleep by hypnosis and entered a dream state.

    However, by this time, Yun Que could already see the "Mint Hypnotist" inside the room. She fired a total of five shots, taking it down before it could reach the fallen Ma Lu.

    With the death of the "Mint Hypnotist," Yun Que hurried forward to wake Ma Lu.

    Although there was no affection system in this broken game, Ma Lu felt the girl''s gaze toward him hadpletely changed from before they entered the warehouse, almost brimming with admiration.

    Yun Que never thought she could be so powerful. At school, she had always been at the bottom of her ss and doubted she could have made it to graduation without the help of "Bliss Bird" and "Hellhound."

    Even after bing an official "Witch," she wasn''t highly regarded by "Sir Knight" and could clearly feel his disdain and aversion toward her.

    Yet, after the "Knight" was switched out halfway through, she found herself capable of handling things on her own.

    Having defeated the troublesome "Mint Hypnotist," Yun Que couldn''t help but stand a little straighter.

    And this "Sir Knight" was so tender, even using his body to protect her.

    Yun Que had been educated from a young age that a "Witch" must fight for the "Knight" and the "Church," and must protect their "Knight," because once a "Knight" was in trouble, the "Witches" would also be executed by the "Church."

    Conversely, if a "Witch" under theirmand died, the "Knight" would at most be held ountable, and sometimes there wasn''t even a reprimand.

    Thus, it was always the "Witch" protecting the "Knight," and it was rare to hear of "Knights" protecting "Witches."

    But everything about this new "Sir Knight" was good, except sometimes his actions were a bit strange.

    Like now, as soon as Ma Lu stood up, Yun Que saw him rush over to the corpse of the "Mint Hypnotist."

    He gleefully sliced with a knife, neatly cutting off both arms and half of the body of the "Mint Hypnotist," and dropped them into the stic bag he was holding.

    While cutting, he muttered, "This was hunted by ourbined efforts, I''m not going to take advantage of you, let''s split it half and half."

    Yun Que''s head shook like a rattle, "No need, Sir Knight, I don''t want it."

    "Why not? Even if you don''t eat it, it''s still good to sell it for money back in the city."

    At this, Yun Que''splexion changed dramatically, "Sir Knight, you, what did you just say, ask me to eat... eat it?"

    "Yes, is there a problem?"

    "All nts in the wild are poisonous and should not be consumed."

    "Oh, is that so? No wonder I couldn''t scan for food earlier. But these are different," Ma Lu pointed at the "Mint Hypnotist" at his feet, "this thing is definitely edible."

    "No, no, no, no," Yun Que waved her hands repeatedly, "Even if it can be eaten, it absolutely shouldn''t be, because these things are impure, no one would buy them." She paused, then added, "When we return to Holy Temple Cityter, you must never reveal any intention of wanting to consume these things in front of the Church."

 Chapter 159 The Golden Combination

    In fact, Yun Que hoped that Ma Lu would dispose of the corpses of those energized nts, ideally burning them with fire, which was the most standard method taught by the school.

    However, Ma Lu clearly had no intention of doing so.

    Since the scan results showed that these things were ingredients, it meant they were edible. Havinge all this way, Ma Lu did not want to return empty-handed.

    He was also curious about these animated vegetables and wanted to see how they differed from their counterparts in another ne.

    After packing up the Mint Hypnotist, Ma Lu nced at the experience bar and found that the experience had increased to 59, less than half of what was needed to level up.

    But he had encountered some trouble: the scattered energized nts in the warehouse had been mostly cleared out by him and Yun Que, and those remaining were mostly inrge groups.

    And some were not something that Yun Que could handle by herself, her attack power was still too low, and she was only one person.

    He needed to recruit more people into the team; Ma Lu''s gaze shifted to another blue dot on the chessboard, feeling it was about time.

    He then establishedmunication with the person behind the avatar once more.

    As soon as Ma Lu had made the call, he heard the roar of the Hellhound again, "Quick, unlock the weapon authorization for me! I want weapon authorization!!! Weapon weapon weapon weapon permission! I want to kill all these obnoxious creatures!!!"

    Ma Lu turned down the volume by half and also nced at the girl''s HP, which in the span of that time had decreased by another 7 points, from 37 down to 30, no wonder she was so irritable.

    Ma Lu waited for her to finish howling, then spoke in a leisurely manner, "You''ve been to the room with the boxes, and you''ve seen what''s inside. Do you think you could beat it if I unlocked your weapon authorization?"

    The voice on the other end went silent suddenly, and after a moment, Ma Lu heard the purple-haired girl mutter, "If I hadn''t been injured..." Read exclusive adventures at empire

    Ma Lu cut her off, "Come here and listen to mymands along with Yun Que, and I guarantee you''ll get to the boxes."

    "Ha, why should I let a novice boss me around?!"

    "Because you need me. It''s only with a Knight that a Witch can unleash her full power."

    "..."

    The Hellhound fell silent once again, seemingly considering Ma Lu''s earlier proposition, while Ma Lu was patient, not hurrying her.

    About half a minuteter, the Hellhound opened her mouth again, her tone grim, "Interesting, you''re so eager to be my Knight, have you thought about the price?"

    "I don''t care. Even if you betray me one day, it''s no loss to me," Ma Lu said indifferently.

    Some wild beasts are doomed never to be tamed because rebellion is etched deep into their bones. Even when caged, the yearning for freedom in their pupils cannot be locked away.

    While perhaps other Knights might worry about the Hellhound losing control and bing a regicide, Ma Lu had no such concerns.

    Because if someday the Hellhound would plunge a knife into his chest, he would only lose a batch of ingredients, after all.

    Perhaps it was because she detected the sincerity in Ma Lu''s words, the Hellhound also let out augh, "What... so you are a madman as well?"

    Without waiting for Ma Lu''s reply, she went on to say, "Really, I could dismiss a proposal from a normal person, but I can''t refuse a madman''s. Since that''s the case, let''s cooperate this once and I''ll see what you''re capable of."

    "Good, then follow my instructions from now on, let''s meet up first."

    Five minutester, Ma Lu found the purple-haired girl again behind a shelf on the first floor; she looked much more disheveled than thest time he saw her, with a wound on her back and her jacket stained red.

    Yun Que was startled by the sight of the wound and instinctively wanted to seek out a Bliss Bird for healing but then remembered that the Bliss Bird was on the verge of being lost, having fallen into aa, and couldn''t be of any help at the moment.

    The Hellhound seemed unconcerned about her own condition and said to Ma Lu,

    "My injury is not a big deal. I can still handle forty minutes of intensebat."

    Ma Lu frowned, knowing that while he didn''t doubt the purple-haired girl''s willpower, her low health as a melee fighter was still problematic.

    But he had no good solution at the moment, so he just nodded, "Let''s clear out the energized nts on the first floor first."

    After all, these were ingredients and could also provide experience points; since they hade across them, there was no reason to pass them up.

    With the addition of the Hellhound, whose attack power was as high as 12 points, the first targets Ma Lu set his sights on were the formidable duo of the Potato Heavy Shield Soldier and Corn Shooter.

    This pair had previously given Ma Lu quite a headache. Although the Potato Heavy Shield Soldier only had an attack power of 2 points, its defensive power was a high 8 points, and it had an impressive HP of 105.

    In contrast, the Corn Shooter had only 3 points of defensive power, but its attack power was 7 points, and its HP was not that much, only 27; the problem was that the Corn Shooter and Potato Heavy Shield Soldier were inseparable like lovebirds in the throes of passion, unwilling to part even for a moment.

    Ma Lu had tried to lure the Corn Shooter away, but each time the Potato Heavy Shield Soldier would move together with it.

    With its high defense, Yun Que basically could not inflict any damage, and the Corn Shooter being a ranged unit made kite-flying tactics difficult to employ against it.

    So Ma Lu had to temporarily bypass them, but now with the Hellhound, things were much simpler.

    Upon unlocking the Hellhound''s weapon, the purple-haired girl charged straight at the Corn Shooter, showing off some fancy footwork along the way.

    The corn kernels shot by thetter were all skillfully dodged.

    The Hellhound swung the red short de in her hand, shing at therge corn cob, and just with that one sh, she reduced the opponent''s HP by 11 points.

    Nine of those points were the base damage from attack minus defense, and the following two points were from the 20% bonus damage of the passive skill [You Look Delicious].

    The purple-haired girl could be called a health bar evaporator, two shes and the Corn Shooter was cut down to a critical health state.

    It gave Ma Lu, who was used to Yun Que whittling away at enemies with a small handgun, the illusion of moving from the stone age to the era of firearms all at once.

    Indeed, the experience of having a powerful character to y monsters and clear obstacles was much better.

    Ma Lu wasn''t idle either, already grappling with the Potato Heavy Shield Soldier on the side, both of them in a stalemate.

    However, Ma Lu''s intention was just to tie down the Potato Heavy Shield Soldier, waiting for the Hellhound to deal with the Corn Shooter and then join the fight, assaulting the Potato Heavy Shield Soldier together.

    Of course, Yun Que and Ma Lu were mainly there to harass and take damage, with the team''s damage outputrgely dependent on the Hellhound, who didn''t let Ma Lu down.

    Even when cutting down an enemy with a defensive power as high as 8 points, the Hellhound was still able to inflict 5 points of damage, the same as Yun Que''s base attack value.

    With a barrage of attacks from the three, even the Potato Heavy Shield Soldier with its HP exceeding a hundred points couldn''t withstand and fell to the ground.

    And Ma Lu gained another 9 points of experience, plus the 8 points from the Corn Shooter, leaving him only 24 points away from leveling up.

 Chapter 160 DPS Test

    After wiping out another ming Chili Pepper, the red dots on the chessboard map had dramatically decreased from the initial count of 31 to just 7, and Ma Lu''s experience bar was finally full.

    His Knight Level had risen from Level 1 to Level 2, and he had acquired a virtual item¡ªa Recovery Banner.

    Ma Lu nced at the description, noting that virtual items could only be employed on the squares of the chessboard map, and using one would add a type of terrain effect to a designated square.

    For instance, with the newly acquired Recovery Banner, nting it in any square would slowly restore the health points of allies within the square at a rate of 1 point per minute.

    Once the banner was nted, it could no longer be moved, and it could only be used once per game.

    Then Ma Lu checked the status of the Hellhound. When she had joined the team, she only had 30 HP left and had just endured three battles. Despite her agility and Ma Lu''s assistance in drawing aggression, she had still lost 7 points of health.

    In contrast, Yun Que had maintained a full HP throughout thebat.

    There was no helping it; for a melee ss to farm monsters without taking damage like a ranged ss was nearly impossible, especially since the purple-haired girl was already wounded.

    Any slightly vigorous movement would aggravate the wound on her back, yet the Hellhound hadn''t uttered a singleint despite the prolonged battle.

    Nevertheless, from her increasingly paleplexion, Ma Lu could tell that she was nearing her limit.

    The arrival of the Recovery Banner was indeed timely.

    However, Ma Lu did not rush to nt it underfoot. After clearing the area of Energized nts, he turned to the two Witches beside him and said,

    "Let''s go; we''ll fetch that chest."

    Although there were still 4 red dots left on the first floor, they were all contained within a locked-off area and wouldn''t be able to escape. Moreover, for Ma Lu''s Knight Level to rise from Level 2 to Level 3, he needed 150 experience points.

    Even if they were to eliminate those four Energized nts, the distance to the level-up requirement was still far off, so Ma Lu decided to skip them and directly attack thergest red dot inside the warehouse.

    Whether it was coincidence or not, the room housing it and the two smaller red dots was also where the silver suitcase was stored.

    Yun Que uttered an "Oh" and then turned to look at the purple-haired girl, her eyes full of concern. After hesitating, she still suggested softly, "Should we take a rest first?"

    "I''m fine," the Hellhound snorted.

    But then she heard Ma Lu say, "We will rest for fifty minutes after reaching the second floor."

    "Fifty minutes? Isn''t that a bit too long?" the purple-haired girl frowned.

    "It''s not too long, just enough time to treat your injuries."

    "I told you my injury isn''t a big deal." The Hellhound was still putting on a brave face, but her speed had noticeably decreased in thest fight, and she had almost stumbled over a piece of scrap metal.

    In her prime condition, she would never have made such a rookie mistake. In the end, it was Ma Lu who rushed to her aid in time, blocking the mes with his armor.

    And after the fight, when Ma Lu checked the purple-haired girl''s attribute panel, he noticed her HP had plummeted from 74 to 23, and her Attack Power had also dropped by 2 points, from 12 to 10.

    "I need you to fully recover so that we can defeat the Energized nts in that room," Ma Lu said.

    "Complete recovery, what nonsense are you talking about? My injuries will take at least a week to heal," the purple-haired girl finally couldn''t help but speak the truth.

    "Bliss, who could heal me, is already unconscious, and there are no medicines or medical equipment here. Every second you waste, I only get weaker," she said.

    Despite her words, there was no fear on the Hellhound''s face; instead, she cracked a smile.

    "Hey, I''ll admit that the fight we just had has changed my impression of you, you''re indeed somewhat different from the other Knights from the Church. But if you want to survive in this cruel world, there are some things you''d better learn from them," she said.

    "Like what?"

    "Like realizing sooner that Witches aren''t just weapons for Knights, but can also be expendable when necessary."

    The Hellhound licked the blood off her lips.

    "If it were any other Knight here, they would definitely take advantage of my remaining strength right now and immediatelyunch a raid on that room,

    "Let Yun Que cover me as I rush in and try to snatch the box, then throw it out.

    "That way, you could report back to the Church, and it''s the only way toplete the mission," she said.

    Ma Lu shook his head, "I said, as long as you''re willing to follow mymand, I have a way to beat whatever''s in that room and get the box."

    He had already checked the Energized nts there in advance, which included a Cucumber Skull Crusher with an Attack Power of 11, a Cabbage Guard, and the boss on this little map, the Infinite Split Cabbage.

    Especially thetter, with a whopping 500 HP and its Defensive Power being 1 point higher than the Potato Heavy Shield Soldier they had encountered earlier, reaching an rming 9 points.

    Moreover, it had a particrly disgusting trait; every minute it suffered an attack, it could split off and reproduce another Cabbage Guard.

    Cabbage Guard''s HP was also 50, with Defense and Attack both at 4, not a very high base attribute, but if not quickly eliminated, their numbers would keep multiplying. Stay connected via empire

    Put simply, this Infinite Split Cabbage came with a DPS (Damage per Second) check: only if the team''s damage output was high enough could it possibly be killed.

    However, in Ma Lu''s Witch squad, only the Hellhound was able to deal damage.

    In her weakened state, Hellhound''s Attack Power had dropped to 10, and she could only deal 1 point of damage per attack, clearly unable to keep up with the Infinite Split Cabbage''s reproduction rate.

    But if her Attack Power could recover to 12, she could deal 3 points of damage, and since the Infinite Split Cabbage was a fire-weak unit, fire attribute attacks would deal double damage to it, meaning 6 points.

    And that''s not all, Hellhound''s passive Skill [You Look Delicious] came with a 20% extra damage increase.

    With this, Hellhound could deal 7 points of damage per attack. Moreover, once the Infinite Split Cabbage''s HP was reduced below 50%, it would trigger Hellhound''s second passive [Bloodthirst], which would increase her attack speed by 30%.

    Yet this was still not the purple-haired girl''s limit; she also had an active Skill [Hell''s Roar].

    After activating [Hell''s Roar], Hellhound could temporarily increase her Attack Power by another 5 points, to a terrifying 17 points, the damage she could inflict on the Infinite Split Cabbage would surge to 19 points in one fell swoop.

    That was Ma Lu''s confidence. The reason he previously hesitated to unleash Hellhound''s weapon was that he was worried she might waste her Skills indiscriminately on lesser troops and use up the precious Sin Value quota prematurely.

    That way, Ma Lu would have no way to deal with the Infinite Split Cabbage in the room, after all,pared to damage output, Yun Que was more suitable for the role of the poster girl; her small pistol was powerless against boss-level enemies, not even managing to scratch them.

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