Chapter 13

At this moment, Zhang Che had no idea what was happening back in school. He was over five kilometers away from the safe zone with his two beasts by his side, carefully traversing an area full of mounds.

After witnessing the Fiery Scorpion’s powerful offensive strength, Zhang Che couldn’t be bothered with those weak, one-star black iron beasts.

Just by looking at their market value, one could tell how useless those one-star black iron beasts were.

The silver-tier Fiery Scorpion could fetch at least two hundred thousand Alliance dollars, while a common one-star black iron card was barely worth ten thousand dollars. The difference in value couldn’t be justified.

Due to him ignoring the low-tier beasts that lived around the safe zone, currently Zhang Che had yet to obtain a single beast card today, despite killing a few beasts on his way. Perhaps it was because of his poor luck, he only managed to obtain a few points of soul force.

“If I don’t encounter any beasts that are slightly stronger, I can only head in another direction. Only the heaven know if there will be some powerful beasts I can’t handle if I continue venturing further away from the safe zone.”

Zhang Che didn’t have the guts to venture too far away from the safe zone. Let alone encountering those powerful beasts rumored to survive even cannons, even if it was a two-star silver-tiered beast, it could easily claim his little life.

The vegetation around this area was sparse. One could see dark brown soil everywhere.

In this kind of environment, he didn’t have to worry about being ambushed. After all, his breadth of vision was relatively wide.

Even so, Zhang Che didn’t dare drop his guard. The Large Tusk Boar was the one to lead the way, while the Fiery Scorpion moved closely at his side. Once any danger popped up, Zhang Che wouldn’t hesitate to abandon the Large Tusk Boar at the front and escape with the Fiery Scorpion.

Mmm. This was the so-called abandon the pig and save the scorpion stratagem!

Suddenly, one of the knolls made of sandy soil caught Zhang Che’s attention.

The knoll was only four-some meters tall. Its was evenly spread with sandy soil; obviously it wasn’t natural.

Looking from a distance, the top of the sandy knoll was filled with holes with openings the size of a bowl. It was very obvious that it was the nest of some insect species.

“Tsk, there should be quite a number of exotic beasts in there, right?”

Zhang Che’s eyes lit up.

No matter how trash the beasts in the knoll were, as long as the quantity is high, wasn’t that akin to a gold mine?

Even if the price of a one-star black iron beast was low, but what about ten, or twenty of them?

“Go, scout ahead.”

After issuing the command, the Large Tusk Boar charged forward at great speed with its long, sharp tusks ahead like ready spears. Meanwhile, Zhang Che himself was following behind at a snail’s pace. He was prepared to run away the moment he noticed something amiss.

Speaking of which, all this while Zhang Che had been using the Large Tusk Boar for scouting purposes. Perhaps this fellow was born with an innate talent at taunting. Whenever it started running, it was able to lure every beast in its vicinity without fail.

Moreover, Zhang Che also noticed that although the Large Tusk Boar was a one-star bronze beast and looked incredibly ferocious, its actual combat strength was in fact not that impressive. This dumb fellow’s turning speed was truly too slow. The moment it ran into a slightly more agile beast, it would be helpless against them.

Furthermore, they were in mountainous terrain, and trees were everywhere. The Large Tusk Boar would ram into one if it was slightly careless, and its curved sword-like tusks would jam into the tree, and couldn’t be pulled out easily.

The Large Tusk Boar started running and making loud noises as it did. Suddenly, innumerable ants came crawling out of the holes in the sandy knolls.

Mm. They were oversized ants.

Each of them were as thick as a human’s calf, and about a foot long. Their mandibles were like pairs of daggers, striking fear in anyone who saw them.

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[Iron Mandible Acidic Ant]

Level: One Star (Level 8)

Quality: Bronze

Characteristics: Well Developed and Sharp Mandibles, Able to Secrete Shockingly Corrosive Acid

Weakness: Weak Abdominal Defense, Vulnerable to Fire Attribute Attacks

Potential: D Rank: 25% Chance of Breaking Through Current Level, 2.5% Chance of Breaking Through Current Quality. Chances Halved on Next Upgrade. Upgradable 2 Times

Cultivating Directions: …

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-Oh shit, these guys don’t look threatening, but are actually one-star bronze beasts!-

Zhang Che blanked out after seeing them, and his scalp went numb involuntarily.

Although a one-star bronze beast wasn’t that strong, these Iron Mandible Acidic Ants were in great numbers!

On the sandy knoll, a dense crowd of Iron Mandible Acidic Ants constantly crawled out. At a rough estimation, there were at least a hundred of them!

What was even more frightening was that at this moment, there were ever more of them crawling out of the holes, seemingly endlessly. It was like a tidal wave crashing down at the Large Tusk Boar.

-How unlucky!-

Zhang Che sighed inwardly and hurriedly ordered the Large Tusk Boar to stop and turn around to escape in another direction.

He had no choice; he didn’t want to experience for himself how fearsome the Iron Mandible Acidic Ants’ bites were, even less how corrosive their acid was.

It was said that an army of ants could bite an elephant to death. These weren’t freaking ordinary ants, so even if a dinosaur was there, they could easily bite it to death with their mandibles, leaving not even the bones behind.

Zhang Che ran away in fear. However, the Iron Mandible Acidic Ants refused to let go of the prey that presented themselves at their doorsteps. These foot-long mini-beasts weren’t slow in the least when they ran; they could actually followed closely behind Zhang Che’s steps, causing him to complain endlessly in his heart.

If the ants could speak, Zhang Che would definitely turn around to plead for his life, “Would you believe me if I said that this was a misunderstanding?”

Of course the Iron Mandible Acidic Ants wouldn’t! That’s why they kept chasing him relentlessly, determined to not let Zhang Che and his two beasts off.

While Zhang Che was running for his life like a dead dog, he swore to himself inwardly that he would never provoke beasts that lived in such great numbers ever again.

This kind of freaking strategy that attacks in an ocean-like wave of army was truly not resistible by any ordinary men.

“If anyone were to save me, it’s not even a problem for me to pray to them like a god!”

Fortunately, Zhang Che had killed quite a number of beasts in these lasttwo days. The soul force he obtained had not only expanded his spiritual sea, it also nourished his body, improving his physical ability. Otherwise, he really wouldn’t have lasted long.

Just as Zhang Che was feeling that there was no way out for him, he suddenly heard rustling sounds from the bushes to his side. A beast with a long and slender body over two meters long rushed out and went straight at the ants behind Zhang Che.

“Hmm? What is this? It actually didn’t attack me, and went for the ants instead?”

Zhang Che was stunned. The beast that was covered in a full body of golden scales pounced at the ants ferociously, and its long, sharp mouth spat out a tongue that was about half a meter long, wrapped it around a Iron Mandible Acidic Ant, and swallowed the ant!

-What… is this the legendary ‘offering one’s tongue to help upon witnessing injustice’!?1-

Zhang Che was so excited that he almost cried out.

He focused his gaze and looked at the beast, whose information flashed before his eyes.

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[Golden Pangolin]

Level: One Star (Level 9)

Quality: Silver

Characteristics: Loves Eating Ants, Strong Defense

Weakness: Timid

Potential: D Rank: 25% Chance of Breaking Through Current Level, 2.5% Chance of Breaking Through Current Quality. Chances Halved on Next Upgrade. Upgradable 2 Times

Cultivating Directions: …

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Translator’s Note:

1: The phrase was a play on the old Chinese saying, ‘Drawing one’s sword to help upon witnessing injustice’, which essentially means defending the weak from the strong.