Chapter 176

Chapter 176

On the second day in the game world, at five in the morning, the weather was clear and sunny.

Ji Xinghai opened his eyes to see 'Tough' coiled beside his pillow. It lit up as soon as it saw him awake. Ji Xinghai calmly glanced at it, noticing something on the bedside table out of the corner of his eye.

"..."

What a fat lizard.

He looked at it expressionlessly and turned to the little black snake that seemed to be seeking praise. "Did you bring this fat lizard?"

"Crawling on all fours, Dad likes!" The little black snake perked its tail, like a child waiting for praise.

Ji Xinghai remembered what the little black snake had said last night. This foolish thing mistakenly thought the fat lizard was similar to yesterday's monster—something he liked.

That tiny thing, going out late at night just to find a lizard for him...

He cleared his throat, recalling how his father used to encourage him, and awkwardly patted the little black snake's head. "Yeah, good job, impressive."

"Love Dad~" Little Tough rubbed against him.

"Come on, I'll take you for some fruit." He decided to reward 'Zai', even though he didn't eat lizards.

Ji Xinghai checked out of his room and wheeled his motorcycle to a restaurant with the Special Operations Group logo for breakfast, which was free.

The free items couldn’t be ordered, but judging by the expressions of other diners, they weren’t particularly delicious. However, each portion was large and nutritionally balanced.

"Sir, here is your breakfast." A nutritious breakfast was placed on Ji Xinghai’s table, and seeing his little black snake, the server also brought a stack of pet food.

Ji Xinghai had asked about the pet food formula, which included insects: "Thanks, it eats only vegetables. Do you have any fruit?"

"A black snake eating vegetables?"

The server’s gaze shifted from "Oh, handsome guy" to "Oh, are you crazy?" But she still brought a small plate of cut fruits.

The little black snake climbed down from his wrist, circled the plate, then lowered its head to feast.

Now the server looked at both man and pet with a strange expression.

Both were oddballs.

Could it be that black snakes don't actually eat vegetables?

As he pondered this, he suddenly noticed a muscular man at the next table put down his spoon and place his finger on the plate. "Teleport!"

"Bowl and plate!" A passing server lunged forward but was too late; his fingers passed through the bowl and plate on the table.

"Again, how many things get teleported away every month?" He grumbled angrily, walked to a corner, and recorded the incident in the event logbook, noting the time, location, and lost items.

Looking at the half-teleported bowl and plate touched by the man’s finger, Ji Xinghai had an idea, but he continued eating first.

Once he finished, he scooped up the fruit-stained little black snake and placed it in his pocket, then flashed a warm, sunny smile. "Miss..."

Two minutes later, Ji Xinghai left the restaurant, leaving some money and his contact information on the counter.

Yesterday, when buying the motorcycle, he had suspected something. Today, the server confirmed it: during teleportation, anything carried or touched could also be teleported, and both the teleporter and the object remained in an 'untouchable' state.

The server didn't know the maximum size of objects that could be teleported, but she mentioned that high-level members of the Special Operations Group could pilot mechs. These mechs, over a hundred meters tall, were another kind of 'monster.'

Ji Xinghai was intrigued; he had never piloted a mech before. In the one world where he encountered mechs, he had been transformed into a cyborg, and those mechs were only about ten meters tall, nothing compared to these hundred-meter giants.

It was still early, and most shops were closed. After filling his stomach, Ji Xinghai opened the map and looked for nearby monster spawn points suitable for riding his motorcycle.

The map showed flickering dots; the darkened ones indicated monsters that had just been cleared, while the bright ones marked new spawns.

Yesterday, most of the dots were bright and few in number. Today, however, the map was densely packed with dim dots, indicating numerous low-level monsters.

These must be prepared for new recruits, the so-called beginner phase... Hmm?

With sharp eyes, Ji Xinghai spotted a faint dot not far from him, in a previously unmarked area.

A newly spawned low-level monster?

Why wait?

"Stay in my pocket." He buttoned the outer pocket, put on his helmet, and sped off.

Within two minutes, Ji Xinghai raced to the vicinity of the dot.

This was also by the river, likely upstream from yesterday’s monster-fighting spot. The river shimmered under the morning light, with lush grass on both banks, perfect for fishing.

Several fishermen carrying rods and buckets were running toward the area, shouting, "Monster! Monster!"

Before he could see what caused their panic, something shot out of the water.

Whoa, a spear with a barbed tip pierced one of the fishermen and dragged him into a gaping maw filled with sharp teeth.

Pew pew pew, a barrage of bullets rained down, hitting the water but failing to penetrate the creature's skin.

Watching the fish monster dive back into the river after its successful strike, and the drones circling overhead, Ji Xinghai frowned.

Another one dead, the remaining fishermen screamed and scrambled ashore. The drones, having locked onto the fish monster, quickly found two more, forming a triangular formation high above the river's shadow.

Considering the distance between himself and the monster's health bar on the river surface, it was about ten meters.

This newly spawned monster hadn’t yet been scanned into the Special Operations Group’s mission watch. It was smaller than yesterday’s, around twenty meters long, with less than a third of its health bar remaining. It was a fish with a projectile spear-like weapon, moving incredibly fast...

Ji Xinghai adjusted his helmet, slung his backpack, gripped the handlebars with both hands, and stood on one foot to steady the tilted motorcycle, a wild idea burning in his mind.

"Is this the place? Where’s the monster?" A voice came from behind him. It was a member of the Special Operations Group who had just teleported in and was still clueless, searching for the monster.

People were already arriving, and more would keep coming. Over five thousand trainees were all eyeing the low-level monsters, ready to snatch them up as soon as they appeared.

Finally, Ji Xinghai made up his mind. He carefully drove his motorcycle onto a concrete platform, leaning forward slightly with his eyes fixed on the blood bar over the river.

The anglers on the shore were still running, their movements attracting the hunters. He lowered his presence, cleared his mind of all thoughts, and synchronized his breathing with the gentle breeze, his gaze following the fleeing anglers.

If he were the monster, whom would he choose as prey?

Ji Xinghai quickly identified a target: someone with an injured foot, a medium build, slightly overweight, and no cover.

A gentle breeze swept across the river, and his finger pressed down on the throttle control.

Whoosh! A ripple appeared in the water, and the sharp hook emerged. As it did, Ji Xinghai twisted the handle, and the motorcycle roared like an arrow, shooting out.

"Oh!" A red-haired boy who had just teleported in jumped in surprise, watching the black motorcycle speed at full throttle, leap over a fence, and dive into the river as if courting death.

Suicide? No, what's that in the water?

"!!!" The fish monster, hunting in the water, had just locked onto its prey. Its spines had barely left the surface when a black shadow descended from above.

The heavy motorcycle landed precisely on its head, sending a massive splash into the air.

The cicada thinks only of catching the mantis, unaware of the oriole behind. The oriole targets the moment the mantis strikes.

The fish monster, focused entirely on its prey, missed the chance to dodge the falling motorcycle. It was stunned for a few seconds, its head buzzing.

Strike while the iron is hot. Despite the water splashing over his helmet and obscuring his vision, and his body swaying due to the lack of balance in the water, Ji Xinghai used his experience to push the motorcycle into the monster's gaping mouth, blocking its throat.

Teleport!

In those chaotic seconds, one hand gripped the slippery spine of the fish monster, and the other rapidly tapped the teleport button.

The struggling fish monster froze for a second, its protruding spines just a meter away from the prey, suspended in mid-air.

The targeted angler was too terrified to speak.

"Damn." Watching the fish monster begin to teleport, the red-haired boy finally understood the scene before him. "Another freak."

Using the teleport feature to trap the monster—bold and daring. A slight miscalculation or mistake could have led to a fatal outcome.

Yet, this highly improbable feat was accomplished.

Judging by the length of the blood bar, it was a relatively strong D-level monster. But being a fish monster, its combat effectiveness halved once out of water. And with its strongest attack just used and its mouth blocked by the motorcycle, it was now vulnerable.

He was set for promotion.

The appearance of fish monsters was random, and this one had just appeared. In such a short time, he devised a plan using his daily teleport opportunity and the fact that the fish monster could only move in water. Bold, meticulous, and decisive—indeed, those participating in the league had their skills.

"Finding such a ruthless player on the second day. I wonder if our academy's guy can still be the boss in this instance."

"Where’s the monster? Where is it?"

The skilled players had already claimed the monsters, yet some were still clueless, searching aimlessly. The disparity between people was greater than between humans and dogs. The red-haired boy turned away without a glance, knowing his teleport opportunity was wasted; he would have to scavenge nearby monsters.

Meanwhile, Ji Xinghai and the fish monster were teleported near a B-level monster.

The sky was dyed red by flames, and the alleyways cast in blue-purple shadows. A low house was half-collapsed under the weight of the fish monster.

Ji Xinghai slipped off the clumsy monster, unable to hold onto the slimy spine.

Nearby NPCs ran upon seeing the partially teleported fish monster, retreating into nearby shelters. They lacked the strength to fight but had the experience to seek safety immediately after a disaster.

Other members of the Special Operations Group were drawn to the B-level monster, not noticing the additional monster in the corner.

As the red-haired boy predicted, Ji Xinghai aimed his gun at the fish monster as soon as he landed.

Timing, location, and circumstances—all in his favor. Your retribution is me.

The fish monster, which had been in the water a moment ago, now stared wide-eyed and incredulously at Ji Xinghai. It seemed to want to say something, but the motorcycle lodged in its throat prevented any words.

"Condolences."

Unable to use its powerful attacks and immobilized, the fish monster raised its spiny fins and opened its massive mouth, attempting to intimidate the human with its menacing presence.

But the human did not retreat; instead, he took a step forward.

On land, the fish monster was less formidable, but its long health bar remained. With only a basic light gun, Ji Xinghai knew he couldn't kill it quickly.

With many Special Operations Group members around, to avoid complications, he decided to take a risky approach. He adjusted the gun slightly and aimed at the energy block on the motorcycle.

These motorcycles, purchased with contribution points, used compressed energy blocks.

Compressed energy blocks were highly potent but unstable, much like gasoline cans. Exposed to air, they could easily ignite. Ji Xinghai fired a shot, igniting the unstable energy block.

As sparks flew, he rolled several times into a nearby alley.

Boom!

A loud explosion followed by a rumble.

The half-collapsed house finally collapsed entirely, with bloody teeth scattered among the debris.

Ji Xinghai covered his ears, realizing there was no ringing or temporary deafness. He remembered this was a data body, not subject to normal physical limitations.

Amidst floating dust, he cautiously walked out of the alley with his gun raised. The fish monster, hit by the high-energy blast, had its mouth blown off, leaving a mess of blood and motorcycle fragments, but its skin remained unscathed. Its health bar dropped to one-tenth of its original length.

The loud noise drew the attention of nearby Special Operations Group members, who approached. B-level monsters were tough to defeat, so they didn’t mind taking on weaker ones if available.

The peripheral Special Operations Group quickly closed in, their footsteps growing louder. Ji Xinghai aimed at the fish monster, now only half its original size.

"Bang bang bang!"

It was gasping for air, while he relentlessly pursued, firing several shots at the heart of the fish monster, effectively rendering the remnant fish utterly incapacitated.

The fish monster gave a final convulsion, and its health bar reached zero.