Chapter 14:

Although feeling surrounded by scoundrels, there was no need to deliberately make things difficult. Yet, driven by some secretive impulse, Yun Shan eventually managed to contact “Deceiver,” intending to sell the “Heaven’s Retribution” account to him.

Initially, the other party suspected foul play due to Yun Shan’s lower price than the market rate. There were clearly better options available, so there was no need to choose him specifically.

“Deceiver: Why?”

“Yun Shan: If ‘move aside and let me handle it’ isn’t satisfying, then I’m content.”

The other party instantly understood.

“Deceiver: I’m about to launch a pursuit against that brat. It’s best if I chase him until he quits, or if not, at least give him a good beating twenty times. Let him learn a lesson and realize that not everyone can be easily bullied.”

“Deceiver: No need to thank me, consider it a discount.”

“Yun Shan: I’ll sell you the account, do as you please.”

After the conversation, both parties were quite satisfied.

Yun Shan put on his holographic helmet and logged in again.

**

In the kitchen, Yun Shan minced fish bones, meat, and skin, seasoned them, rolled them into small balls, and then fried them to a golden brown.

A fragrant aroma filled the air.

Dahei paced back and forth at the doorway, eyes fixated, wishing it could devour the delicious treat in the next second.

Not just Dahei, even Lu Lui, who was responsible for secret protection from a distance, couldn’t help but deeply inhale the aroma, “This is too fragrant…”

Despite having just eaten, she suddenly felt hungry again.

After frying the fish bone balls and letting them cool, Yun Shan picked one and gave it to Dahei, “Try this.”

Dahei eagerly swallowed it in one go.

It was flavorful!

Crunchy!

Absolutely delicious!

Dahei’s eyes sparkled, and without any instruction, it tilted its head, a natural at looking cute, hinting that it wanted more.

“Delicious, right? The neighboring beasts, upon catching a whiff, will surely be envious,” Yun Shan said as he fed another ball to Dahei.

Post-apocalypse, the constitution of beasts was countless times stronger than before. Not to mention that even peculiar varieties unfit for human consumption were edible for beast.

Fully aware of this, Yun Shan made the fish bone balls specifically as a snack for Dahei.

Lu Lui, sharp-eared and sharp-eyed, responded in her mind. There are no neighbors or beast next door, but she’s definitely been made envious.

“Here, have another one,” Yun Shan said, using chopsticks to pick up another fish bone ball.

As if out of nowhere, a white falcon swiftly swooped in, snatched a ball, and fled.

Dahei, biting into thin air, looked perplexed.

Yun Shan looked up and saw the white falcon, its body entirely white with brown spots covering its back and wings. Its wings were robust and powerful, giving it a formidable appearance.

Above its head, the name was displayed in blue, indicating an overall strength level of three stars.

In contemplation, the White Falcon swallowed the fish bone ball and then dove, aiming straight for the bowl of balls.

Again?! Dahei leaped, enraged, and tried to bite.

The falcon reacted swiftly, dodging agilely to the side.

It adjusted its direction and flew towards Yun Shan once more.

At that moment, a vine shot out, firmly binding the white falcon.

The black-named female NPC “Lu Liu” didn’t hesitate to shield Yun Shan behind her, “Are you alright?”

Lu Liu? How did she get here? Yun Shan was mildly surprised.

This girl’s name was truly fitting, she was a force to be reckoned with in a fight, always turning the tables. Usually, she handled high-risk, high-difficulty tasks that ordinary people couldn’t manage.

In the previous life, Lu Ming had once assigned Lu Liu to protect her for a while, so she was well aware of how formidable this girl could be.

—Don’t ask why she always got half of the medicine before he took it, why did they need to deploy a skilled protector specifically, it’s because of his complex personality, it’s because of his twisted nature.

Furthermore, wasn’t she the one who, despite complaining about the patient’s stubborn and disobedient nature and reluctance to be treated, meticulously studied all the medical texts in Lu Ming’s collection, modifying various formulas, and striving to cure him?

…

Memories flashed before Yun Shan’s eyes, causing her thoughts to drift.

Seeing her lost in thought, Lu Liu, full of vigilance, asked, “Have you been injured?”

“No,” Yun Shan snapped out of her reverie, “I was just robbed.”

“Good,” Lu Liu’s expression relaxed slightly.

In the midst of their conversation, the white falcon struggled free from the vine’s restraints and scampered off into the distance.

Lu Liu’s eyes turned cold as she seized the vine and struck out fiercely.

“Snap—”

The vine lashed out like a whip, striking the falcon, causing a few feathers to flutter down.

The falcon let out a mournful cry and flew off, lopsidedly.

“Even though we’re in the camp, safety should still be a priority,” Lu Liu cautioned.

“I understand,” Yun Shan knew well that in this perilous world, a moment of carelessness could lead to dire consequences. There was no such thing as an entirely safe zone, she had amassed a fortune but lacked the corresponding ability to protect herself, which only invited trouble.

It was for this reason that she had been diligently nurturing Dahei, hoping for it to advance in strength soon. Unfortunately, before success could be achieved, this unexpected incident occurred.

What started as mere food snatching could potentially escalate, and no one could guarantee that the prolonged entanglement with the falcon wouldn’t trigger its aggression, prompting an attack on her. Whether due to excessive obsession or greed, it was possible to break free from the influence of her innate talents.

“As long as you’re okay, I’ll be leaving,” Lu Liu, having completed her rescue, intended to depart.

Out of the blue, Yun Shan asked, “Sent by Lu Ming?”

Lu Liu: ???

She hadn’t said anything at all!

“Since you’re here, let’s have a meal together,” Yun Shan added without waiting for a response.

Lu Liu’s expression turned stern—professionally speaking, as the secret protector, she had no ties to the protected individual.

But her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own, “Fine.”

…

At the border between the wilderness and the camp, Han Jiaqing, Kang Zeyang, and their group gathered.

Han Jiaqing took the lead, “I’ve got the medicine. 20 bottles of Healing potion and 10 bottles of Revitalizing Elixer, all personally crafted by Yun Shan.”

Kang Zeyang looked surprised in a certain direction, “How come you’re here too?”

Feng Yao spoke calmly, “I’ve thought it over. In online gaming, one still needs absolute strength. It’s easy to die fighting beasts, but if you can adapt to the environment and survive, then there’s not much to worry about afterwards.”

Did you get a gym membership card?

Have you enrolled in martial arts classes?

Have you practiced long-distance running?

Kang Zeyang almost blurted out these questions.

“Feng Yao is a pro player,” Han Jiaqing praised him with immense admiration, “Many of the points I’ve acquired were given by him.”

“It’s just luck,” Feng Yao said.

“How long have you been in the game?” Kang Zeyang looked at him suspiciously, “These items on you aren’t cheap, are they?”

How come there are surplus points available for sale?

“Not long, just had a stroke of luck,” Feng Yao replied simply. Besides that, he refused to say another word.

“Alright, a stroke of luck,” Kang Zeyang couldn’t quite fathom what kind of fortune could be found in this game. However, since the other party was unwilling to elaborate, he didn’t bother to ask further, “Is everyone here? Once they’re all here, let’s get ready to set off.”

“Recently, I’ve studied the surrounding map and found a good spot. Most of the beasts there are gray-level (one star), with a few white-level ones (two stars). I’ve never seen any blue-level beasts (three stars) there. It’s suitable for beginners to level up,” Han Jiaqing said earnestly.

Kang Zeyang teased, “You talk big, just don’t set flags.”

It sounded like the blue-level beasts were waiting for them to appear.

Han Jiaqing hesitated and added, “It’s close to the camp. In case of any mishaps, we can run back.”

There were NPC guards standing at the camp’s entrance. If any beasts approached, they would actively engage and kill the enemies.

“Near the Cedar Woods?” Feng Yao inquired.

Han Jiaqing looked surprised, “You’ve heard of it?”

“I’ve been there a few times alone. It’s indeed not bad,” Feng Yao replied.

Seeing two members recommend it, Kang Zeyang nodded, “Alright, let’s go there then.”

After the discussion, the group set off officially.

As Han Jiaqing had mentioned, the Cedar Woods were not far from the camp, approximately a five-minute walk away.

Upon arrival, after a short wait, a gray-level tiger-striped rabbit appeared in front of the group, hopping around.

“Perfect, let’s use it as target practice.”

“Charge—”

The team members brandished their wooden sticks, bravely advancing.

“Huh?” One of them was inadvertently hit by the rabbit and winced in pain.

With six members in the team and the lowest-level gray-level creature to contend with, within moments, the small creature sustained severe injuries and fell to the ground.

“Hunting isn’t that difficult after all,” the members cheered excitedly after their first victory.

Seeing someone injured, Han Jiaqing wanted to take out a Revitalizing Elixer for him.

The injured player hurriedly declined, “It’s not a serious injury, no need to waste the pill.”

“It’s fine, I have money, I just want to see the effects of the medicine,” Han Jiaqing said generously.

The injured player acquiesced, “Alright then.”

After taking the Revitalizing Elixer, the pain at the impact site immediately subsided.

The injured player sighed from the heart, “It’s really effective.”

Having never used any other medicine, he had no basis for comparison and could only describe the true feeling after taking the medicine.

“When I was hit just now, there was no visible wound, but I could feel discomfort internally. That’s probably what they call ‘internal injuries.’ After taking the pill, the pain immediately disappears.”

Han Jiaqing contemplated, then used a dagger to cut a gash on his palm.

The pain was particularly intense, causing him to involuntarily inhale sharply. Then, gritting his teeth, he applied the Healing Potion.

When it touched the skin, and the wound visibly scabbed and healed at a remarkable speed, returning to normal in no time.

Feng Yao asserted, “The Healing Potion sold in NPC stores isn’t as effective as this bottle.”

The members breathed a collective sigh of relief, “Now, even without a healer, we don’t have to worry about dying too quickly.”

As they spoke, a gray-level Crimson-bellied Pheasant appeared within their sights.

Kang Zeyang perked up, “Let’s get it!”

**

Two hours later.

Returning with their haul of Tundra Wolves, Crimson-bellied Pheasants, Herons, and Tiger-Striped Rabbits, the hunting team sold their loot to the NPC shops, earning a total of 246 points. When divided amongst the members, each person earned 20.5 points per hour, a significantly higher income compared to working regular jobs.

One member sighed with emotion, “Finally, we’re getting a sense of the online gaming experience.”

“There’s no future in working regular jobs, we have to grind beasts.”

“Shall we gather later for a feast, guys? My treat.”

“Sure!”

As the teammates cheered for a meal, Kang Zeyang, lost in thought, couldn’t help but ponder, “We’ve killed so many small creatures and still haven’t found any skill books, what do we do in the future?”

“You can learn at the training grounds,” Han Jiaqing informed him, “They teach combat skills and techniques. The fees are based on class hours. It’s cheaper if you learn quickly and more expensive if you learn slowly. Also, the learning effect depends on the player’s comprehension; it’s not a guaranteed mastery.”

Kang Zeyang was at a loss for words.

For the nth time, he felt that the realistic game environment was not necessarily a good thing’ the learning curve was just too steep.