Chapter 183

Chapter 183

They turned a corner and walked into a narrow, dark alley, where the Ink Snake slithered out of his pocket.

Ji Xinghai saw it but did not stop it.

A few minutes later, a man bathed in blood emerged from the alley, carrying a shiny little black snake in one hand and fresh loot in the other.

"I was thinking of going straight today. Oh well, let's have some grilled fish instead. I'll get you an order of grilled eggplant."

"Sounds good~"

The man and the snake walked into the crowd.

As night fell, more people were competing for monsters, making it impossible to enjoy a monster all by oneself. Ji Xinghai used two teleportations but only gained two three-star materials and a few attribute points—nothing particularly substantial.

Or rather, compared to the income from high-level monsters, the rewards from C-level monsters were negligible.

Moreover, he intentionally held back on using two of his skills, relying only on the light source gun and rocket launcher, which limited the damage and thus the income even further.

"I'm still too weak," he thought. The conventional weapons he had were effective against some D- and C-level monsters, but useless against those with thick hides.

Once he was cleared, he would go to the branch office to upgrade his equipment.

Wonder how many contribution points Brother Cat's motorcycle costs—it's fast and stable.

The next day.

By now, the Hungry Academy group chat established by Ji Xinghai had nearly two hundred members, and the word-of-mouth effect was significant. After a night of relentless mutual assistance, the number of members who had been promoted was close to a hundred.

In the time he spent reading messages, almost every few minutes someone successfully turned over a new leaf.

At the same time, over seventy of his red packets had been claimed. Many students were too busy helping others turn over that they didn't have time to hunt monsters themselves.

Of course, there was bad news as well. By now, fifty or so members of the Hungry Academy had logged off.

"Did they use up all three resurrection chances in just one day?" Ji Xinghai frowned. It shouldn't be like this; they weren't that careless. Perhaps they were being camped.

Other academies had dedicated teams to eliminate competitors, and they must have considered the element of resurrection.

"Where is the resurrection point after death?" he typed.

"Ji! The resurrection point is at the Special Operations Group hospital near the death site."

"Hospital, local hospital."

The group chattered, providing similar answers: the resurrection point was at a special hospital in the central area, not far from the death site.

"I suspect a team is ambushing and killing people. Everyone, try not to go alone and avoid side streets. If you encounter trouble, hide first, then seek help."

"Understood, Ji. Don't worry, we'll take care of ourselves."

Ji Xinghai worried about the Hungry Academy students, and they worried about burdening him.

With only five minutes left until the agreed-upon time with the 'Burnt Chestnuts' team, he closed his phone and activated the teleportation.

Still covered in a thin layer of blood, he couldn't go to the branch office to upgrade his equipment, and the loot from killing wasn't much. But the good news was that his health bar was full, and he had become familiar with his updated body.

"Here already?" The leader of the Exploding Lion Head gang approached him, patting him on the shoulder. "Today, we're entering this secret realm."

Ji Xinghai saw a swirling rainbow-colored light between two twin towers, several stories high, continuously spinning.

Is this the secret realm?

"Our mission is to kill the monsters inside, rescue survivors, and close the entrance to the secret realm. A B-level team previously took this mission but failed. Now it's our turn."

The bald leader explained the situation, gesturing to the lion-headed man: "Tell him the specifics."

"Sure." Bandai led Ji Xinghai aside to share the information they had. Ji Xinghai also heard whispers questioning whether he could really hold off a monster.

"The monsters this time are a couple," Bandai began, "a pair of raptor-like creatures, code-named Night Owls. The male is A-level, while the female is larger and more powerful, rated A+ and just a step away from S-level. However, the female is currently incubating eggs in the nest, making her relatively easier to approach."

Ji Xinghai understood: "Do you need me to hold off the female while she's incubating? But if she's incubating, she shouldn't leave the nest easily. Are these monsters different from ordinary birds?"

"Different indeed," Bandai said appreciatively. "When attacked, they will immediately destroy all unhatched eggs and attack with their hatched chicks. Humans are the best food for the chicks, so during this period, they hunt humans and store them in the nest as food reserves. Fifty-seven people have gone missing because of this."

"Why destroy the unhatched eggs?" Ji Xinghai pondered. "Could it be that these monsters have imprinting behavior or can be brainwashed into pets?"

The lion-headed man paused, then patted his head. "How do you come up with these ideas? How did you guess the answer so quickly?"

The monsters destroyed eggs to prevent their children from becoming pets or tools. He needed someone else to remind him of this.

If you think of the monsters as another intelligent species, it makes sense—they'd rather die than be enslaved.

In any case, directly taking down both monsters would work but would result in casualties. Their mission also included rescuing survivors and obtaining monster eggs, each of which was valuable enough to warrant their effort.

So yesterday, the bald leader, upon learning about Ji Xinghai's skills, invited him to join their team.

Of course, Ji Xinghai himself had to be exceptional; otherwise, it would be a temporary hire.

"The secret realm, born alongside high-level monsters, is the most suitable environment for them. Due to environmental bonuses, the monsters inside are harder to deal with than their counterparts outside. We must be extremely cautious once we enter."

Night Owls prefer to act at night, flying silently and swiftly, so they chose to act during the day. However, the Night Owls live in a towering tree, its leaves blocking out the light like nighttime, and their hearing is very acute, making it difficult to approach the nest.

Before entering, Brother Cat was giving final instructions.

"The two monsters usually stay together. We'll send someone to lure the male, and then Jin will lead Xiaohai into the canopy of the giant tree to find the hidden nest."

At this moment, a slightly buck-toothed curly-haired woman smiled brightly at Ji Xinghai.

The bald cat guy continued, "Ajin is an infiltration-type ability user. You should follow her. Besides the Nightowl couple, there are many other low-level monsters hiding in the canopy. These small monsters also serve as sentinels. If they make any noise, the female Nightowl will be alerted."

Seeing Ji Xinghai obediently nodding and following instructions, the cat guy's initially worried mood improved considerably. As long as they could prevent the male and female monsters from working together, they could take them down one by one and complete this mission.

"The skill reset item is ready, along with a ten-second invisibility item and a protective suit you can use." He handed over the prepared items to Ji Xinghai. "Your task is to enter the canopy and keep the female Nightowl occupied for fifteen minutes. Once your skills wear off, hide immediately. After that, we might not be able to look after you."

Ji Xinghai simply nodded, understanding his role. He was here to share in the boss fight.

The cat guy then assigned tasks to the others: taunting and drawing hate, setting up traps early, and launching surprise attacks from the shadows...

"Last time, the cat guy didn't seem so nervous," Ji Xinghai said with a smile to Ajin, the curly-haired woman beside him.

"The Bug Queen has appeared before, so we know how to deal with it. Although the Nightowls have been recorded, this is our first encounter with them. The cat guy is worried about hidden mechanics. Last time..." At this point, Ajin sighed, seemingly recalling some unpleasant memories.

Ji Xinghai did not press further, only stroking the head of the Ink Snake in his pocket. He knew he needed to adapt to the situation—respond when necessary and stay silent otherwise.

To be honest, after experiencing the rewards from fighting high-level bosses, dealing with lower-level monsters just wasn't satisfying anymore.

He really wanted to face high-level monsters directly... Ji Xinghai's ambition was burning.

After the briefing, the thirteen of them began entering in five waves. Since Ji Xinghai's task was crucial, he went in first.

They walked through the swirling rainbow portal, and a vast, flat wasteland appeared before their eyes.

True to her infiltration abilities, Ajin activated her skill upon entering the secret realm. Both she and Ji Xinghai, whom she was pulling, quickly blended into the environment.

"Shh." Ajin led him forward, earth tones flowing over their bodies. She moved very fast, and Ji Xinghai, being dragged along, heard the wind rushing past his ears. In just a few breaths, they arrived at the base of a towering tree standing alone on the wasteland.

This was the largest tree here, impressive even from afar and even more astonishing up close.

The canopy spread out like a giant umbrella, blocking out the sky. Looking up, they couldn't see the sky beyond the leaves.

As Ajin released her grip, Ji Xinghai's skin returned to its normal color. However, his newly acquired protective suit was camouflaged, making him less noticeable.

"Can you climb up?"

"Yes." Ji Xinghai looked up at the tree trunk, taller than any skyscraper.

"We'll go up together; I'll cover you."

Ajin remembered her task and followed behind Ji Xinghai, ready to assist if the newcomer had any issues. But this newcomer seemed right at home climbing the tree, disappearing for a moment.

It wasn't quite the same as a skill; Ajin couldn't pinpoint the difference, but somehow, despite her speed, she almost lost sight of him.

The cat guy's judgment was indeed sharp. There were many insects on the tree trunk, so Ajin climbed carefully. When she finally reached the main branch of the canopy, she saw Ji Xinghai sitting on a parasitic vine, waiting for her.

His face and hands were smeared with some green liquid, and he was swinging his feet while munching on a fruit he had apparently picked along the way.

"What's that?" Ajin was momentarily confused, almost thinking she was on vacation.

"This?" Ji Xinghai held up the berry. "I picked it. Look, those hanging on the vines."

"Zi?" Ajin noticed the black snake hanging from Ji Xinghai's ear like an exaggerated earring. "Ink Snake?"

"Sssss." The Ink Snake flicked its tongue, its tail still curled around Ji Xinghai's ear, its tiny head dangling.

Before she could fully understand, Ji Xinghai tossed something at her. She caught it—a palm-sized green beetle with a transparent shell, its green blood visible inside.

"Do you want to try smearing this? On the way here, I noticed these beetles emit a scent that confuses other insects, making them think it's part of the tree."

Ajin realized that despite the many insects around, none had noticed him. Instead, she stood out like a black sesame seed in a pile of white ones.

She immediately crushed the green beetle and smeared its juice on herself. The gazes that had been watching her immediately withdrew. Ajin looked at Ji Xinghai in amazement. "Have you been here before?"

"Just a guess," Ji Xinghai replied with a smile.

With the green juice, infiltration became easier. Ajin had planned to use a precious item to find the Nightowl nest in the poorly lit canopy, but Ji Xinghai seemed to have made a discovery. He stood on the vine, swaying back and forth, and then jumped onto a branch at the highest point.

Ajin thought for a moment and followed, using her infiltration tracking skill.

Ji Xinghai didn't move continuously; he occasionally stopped. When he paused, Ajin also stopped nearby, listening carefully. Apart from the sounds of unseen bird-like monsters, there was nothing else.

But Ji Xinghai seemed to have found his direction and leaped confidently to another branch.

Ajin followed him, watching him land lightly without disturbing a single leaf. She was secretly amazed.

Though the newcomer might not have high attributes, his control and use of force were exquisite. It felt more like she was learning from him rather than leading him, and she couldn't even replicate his skill.

If she hadn't used her skills, she would have been discovered the moment she climbed the tree. But this person moved effortlessly on the swaying vines, as if strolling in a garden.

Perhaps even without a guide, he could find the nest.

With this subtle feeling, Ajin used various skills to follow quietly. They ventured deeper into the center of the canopy, and the bird calls they heard seemed to diminish.

Suddenly, Ji Xinghai stopped, crouched down, and waved her over, signaling silence.

Ajin understood and cautiously approached Ji Xinghai, peering through the gaps in the vines.