Chapter 59

Chapter 59

"Jiuzhou's Ji Xinghai has gone berserk!"

If the World Forum had a headline, this would likely be today’s hottest topic.

He had taken down a vampire count just at noon, and without a moment’s rest, he continued his relentless pursuit, harvesting nearby lake monsters and incidentally claiming a 'Biscuit House.'

One copper, two wood, three treasure chests—this was merely his achievement for the afternoon.

Even with other students providing intelligence beforehand, it was an awe-inspiring feat.

Today, Jiuzhou was once again the envy of many.

"Green peacocks, Yangtze white sturgeons…" The director studied the newly emerged resources, speculating about their connection to Ji Xinghai. His expression at that moment was telling.

Could Ji Xinghai himself be some unknown entity of Jiuzhou?

"Are Ji Xinghai’s parents still unwilling to watch the live stream?"

"They haven’t watched directly but have been following him indirectly." To Ji Xinghai’s parents, nothing could compare to their own child, despite him being the light of Jiuzhou.

From the perspective of these parents, one could understand their complex feelings, and everyone empathized with such emotions.

The director sighed. "We need to do better in communicating with them. I hope they won’t blame him."

It wasn’t fair to blame him for being selfish. At the very least, he hoped that when Student Ji Xinghai emerged from the Hunger Game, he would only feel kindness and affection.

The director looked at others who had summoned and started tasting the miniature biscuit houses. He observed their genuine smiles and relaxed demeanor.

He forced himself to remain resolute.

It wasn’t fair to those grieving parents, but life rarely offered perfect solutions. Sacrifices had to be made.

"Biscuit house…"

Foreign viewers were tired of expressing their envy.

Ji Xinghai’s unique talent benefited the entire nation, allowing the people of Jiuzhou to reap the rewards effortlessly.

Rumors had it that the scripture of Jiuzhou now included edible miniature biscuit houses, randomly featuring gingerbread men, chocolate sticks, cream biscuits, mini donuts, and even macarons.

While some might not like vampire fangs or oddly shaped mutated rainbow trout, no one could resist a biscuit house!

"You don’t even have a tradition of eating biscuit houses in Jiuzhou!"

"Ask the Hungry Academy; it set the background."

"Oh, how did we end up with all these benefits? Everyone gets one! I’m only moderately fond of sweets, but it’s so annoyingly delightful~"

Those who came to make sarcastic remarks were driven away by this group’s display of privilege.

"Do you Jiuzhou people feel like you’re guarding resource respawn points while watching Ji’s live stream? New surprises every day, or rather, several times a day?"

"Hahaha, well, it’s alright. This time, there were also many official students taking initiative in the scenario. I remember some students took down two monsters today. Everyone is quite capable."

They remained humble towards normal foreign viewers.

With three consecutive victories, Ji Xinghai’s live stream was unusually harmonious. Domestic and international viewers laughed and joked together, oblivious to the cold sweat on the faces of Jiuzhou’s public opinion guidance team.

Ji Xinghai no longer hid his desire for anomalous creatures. He had ‘eaten’ three monsters in a row.

If consuming the vampire involved energy absorption through the act of biting, the subsequent two were literally eaten.

Fortunately, the next two monsters were a lake monster based on a mutated rainbow trout and a giant biscuit confectionery house. His consumption seemed reasonable, giving the Jiuzhou public opinion team ample room to maneuver.

The internet had already accepted the concept that Ji Xinghai’s special talent involved energy absorption through eating.

He ‘ate’ monsters to become stronger, not out of personal preference.

This laid the groundwork for any future whimsical ‘eating’ of monsters by Ji Xinghai.

Aside from suppressing the ‘reverse consumption’ narrative, the Jiuzhou public opinion team actively enriched Ji Xinghai’s image abroad, maintaining his multifaceted nature.

For those who admired strength, they showcased Ji Xinghai’s prowess. For those who appreciated uniqueness, they highlighted his distinctiveness. For those who valued appearance, they revealed his charm.

As long as his fan base was diverse enough, he wouldn’t easily face backlash.

In countries that had benefited from Ji Xinghai, they emphasized impressions like ‘unconventional hero’ and ‘tough exterior with a soft heart.’

Despite only two scenarios, several students had directly benefited from him, let alone those indirectly indebted.

Without his lead, there wouldn’t have been a friendly market for exchanging information for tickets within the scenarios.

Tickets, weapon enchantments—these benefits were tangible.

This subtle combination of public opinion barely caused a ripple regarding Ji Xinghai’s consumption of monsters.

Although some in the live stream questioned the normalcy of Ji Xinghai’s mental state, these comments didn’t gain traction. People who had lived through the era of great pollution and the era of anomalies had high tolerance levels.

Come on! Although he bit the vampire, he honored the contract by giving those who provided information what they needed most—their tickets! He even saved someone infected by the vampire. Wasn’t that proof of his compassionate nature?

Who felt sorry for the monsters?

As for why he ‘ate’ instead of ‘killed’ the monsters, wasn’t retributive justice the most primitive form of justice? Besides, it wasn’t literal eating; sometimes, it was just a symbolic bite.

Moreover, ‘eating’ them strengthened himself, achieving two goals at once.

"I still don’t understand. Ji Xinghai must know that his actions could cause panic and put pressure on the outside world. Why does he continue to do this? It’s completely different from his previous style and contradicts the positive image we’ve been promoting."

The director turned his head to look at the man. "Are you asking for his cooperation?"

The young staff member was taken aback and waved his hands repeatedly. "No, that's not what I meant."

"The special ability of his requires the energy from these abnormal creatures, and only by 'eating' them can he obtain additional supplies. The purpose of the Black Tower is to fully cooperate with the examinees in the examination, not the other way around."

"Is it because the official examinees in the past were too 'convenient' that everyone has forgotten this principle?"

"Everything should be prioritized based on the needs of the examinees themselves. No one has the right to demand that the examinees inside sacrifice their own interests for the benefit of those outside."

The director did not directly blame him, but the staff member's face had turned pale. Things had been going too smoothly during this period, and he had committed a major taboo.

Examinees were crucial to the nation's fate. If someone were to use 'duty' or 'responsibility' to bind them, the worst outcome would be direct defiance. Therefore, the higher-ups had established the principle of 'prioritizing the interests of the examinees, with others fully cooperating.'

Although he had only made a joking remark, which would not be recorded, such casual words often revealed true thoughts. This must have left a terrible impression on others, especially on the minister of the Command Unit.

"Director, that's not what I meant."

He tried hard to make amends, but the director was unimpressed.

"...And with this one meal, he directly provided all of JiuZhou with an effective topical medicine, a twenty-pound Rainbow Trout, and a dessert that provides high calories and boosts happiness. These are tangible benefits, so why not eat them?"

"Should he not eat them just to make your work easier?"

The man's face finally turned completely white.

The director recalled the report from the medical department about the discovery of an active factor in the powder made from vampire teeth, which could not only aid in wound healing but also strengthen cells to a certain extent.

They were accustomed to taking advantage of the benefits provided by the examinees, yet they still complained about such insignificant effects.

This staff member was not suitable to remain in the Black Tower, or perhaps, not suitable for important positions.

Ji Xinghai was unaware that even without doing anything, he could influence the career of a civil servant outside. He was still roasting fish by the car.

As soon as the sun set, the temperature dropped sharply. It was now below minus ten degrees Celsius, and his breath turned into frost. Instead of staying in the car, he collected some firewood and was roasting fish for a late-night snack.

Oh, this wasn't the hundred-pound mutated lake monster. After catching the lake monster, he had caught another Rainbow Trout, a descendant of the lake monster. They weighed about fifteen to sixteen pounds each and were now cleaned and cut into pieces for roasting.

Ji Xinghai still had the spicy seasoning packets left from his meal, so he generously applied them.

This was Ji Xinghai's first time obtaining wild ingredients in this scenario. Previously, he had tried searching for food in the forest and wilderness but found nothing.

This time, he had success mainly due to the lake monster.

Unable to obtain ingredients from the wild and with fewer and fewer resource boxes, the examination organizers seemed determined to force the examinees to hunt monsters to acquire valuable and essential food.

It was very cold, and even with the campfire, he still felt the chill. His thin combat shirt couldn't block the biting wind.

At this moment, the thin silk blanket, which had a corner cut off, came in handy. He wrapped himself in the blanket, warmed his hands by the campfire, and the roasted fish helped raise his body temperature and provide sustenance.

The pan-fried fish fillet set meal obtained from killing the lake monster and the dessert from the cookie house had already been eaten. As his health gradually recovered, his appetite grew, and a couple of bread loaves were no longer enough to satisfy him.

Even if it was just to have three meals a day, he had to keep causing trouble for the monsters.

He was still missing one piece of the Ark fragment, but he wasn't in a hurry. His covert collaborator's emotions were stable, indicating that no one had gotten ahead of him.

Moreover, he would obtain the missing fragment tonight—like a oriole waiting behind a mantis. Who knew if there was another hunter lurking after the oriole?

'The night is dark and windy, perfect for completing this mission.'

The fish pieces coated with spices dripped with oil as they were roasted over the flames, landing on the burning wood and sizzling. Ji Xinghai looked up at the sky; the moon was large and full, though he wasn't sure if it was the fifteenth or sixteenth day of the lunar month.

When the moon was full, it was the time for the "locust" to appear.

Not far from him were two cars, one with an evolved body and the other in its original form. Their owners were shivering and huddled in their vehicles for warmth.

They were the ones who had requested the ride-hunting service, and the clue they provided was 'werewolf.'

Werewolves, monsters commonly featured in Western horror works, were human by day and transformed into bloodthirsty and violent monsters on full moon nights. According to lore, they were also mortal enemies of vampires.

They were world-renowned star monsters.

The two examinees told Ji Xinghai that there were many legends of 'werewolves' in this area. Even in a nearby town's tavern, there were claw marks left by a werewolf on the door, leading the tavern to rename itself the 'Werewolf Tavern.'

However, there were various accounts of the origin of werewolves. Some said they were cursed and turned into werewolves, while others claimed they were bitten by wolves and survived, transforming into werewolves.

The latter had a connection to vampires, as the legend mentioned that another person bitten by a bat became a vampire, and since then, vampires and werewolves became sworn enemies.

Well, these two had indeed been in a love-hate relationship for years, with a seemingly endless feud.

After meeting up with them, Ji Xinghai followed them to the town.

It was already dark, and only places like the tavern were open. The NPCs in the tavern were eager to share stories about the werewolves. It seemed the existence of werewolves didn't cause panic among the residents but rather increased their fame and attracted many tourists.

By the time they left the town and arrived at the origin of the legend, it was already ten o'clock.

"I'm not sure if there are really werewolves here. It looks like a gimmick created by the town to increase income. But if there are, you have to give me that quarter of the ship ticket." The two examinees emphasized.

"Sure."

Ji Xinghai agreed with the two of them that if there were indeed werewolves, there would only be one reward, which they could divide among themselves—if they were still alive at that point.

As the night deepened and the woods grew quieter, he flipped the fish pieces on the skewers to ensure even cooking and prevent burning. The golden fat flowed, filling the air with the aroma of roasted fish.

"Where did he get such a large piece of raw fish?"

"Who knows? But he even has a car that's undergone secondary evolution. It's no surprise he has anything. No wonder he dared to offer help in hunting monsters; he truly has the capability." The examinee named Paul, who had arranged the meeting with Ji Xinghai, looked enviously at the car that had undergone secondary evolution. It looked comfortable and easy to drive.

These two were named Paul and Frieson, both from the same country. Among them, Paul was an official examinee, so they primarily followed his lead.

"Frisson, remember, the goods are yours, and that thing is mine." Frisson in the passenger seat underlined.

"Relax, we'll both get what we want." Paul squinted through his puffy little eyes at Ji Xinghai, who was tending to the grilled fish, "This one's a real big catch."