Chapter 46

Next, the group encountered several more mutant beasts, but they were all easy to deal with—likely all Level 2 mutant beasts. Any one of them could handle these creatures as soon as they appeared.

It was just a bit more difficult when Zhou Min handled them, as he was the weakest among them, though he had made significant progress.

Indeed, before they knew it, they could now handle Level 2 mutant beasts with ease.

They remembered that when they first encountered a Level 2 zombie—back before Zhou Min had joined them—it had taken considerable effort to defeat it.

The crystal cores from the Level 2 mutant beasts were useful for Tian Qiao and the others, who absorbed them all.

Little Black had visibly grown; he seemed to change almost daily.

Previously, Cheng Zhiyu carried him everywhere, but now he rarely did so, as Little Black had become much heavier—weighing about twenty pounds now, looking more like a medium-sized dog than a small breed.

It was just unclear how big he would eventually get.

That day, they finally completed scanning their assigned area and were about to notify the base to pick them up.

However, they spotted a distress signal on their communicator.

Many times before, the signals had been too far away, and even if they saw them, there was nothing they could do. But this time, it was much closer—just a few kilometers away.

Cheng Zhiyu: "Should we go check it out?"

Tian Qiao: "Let's check it out. If we can help, we will."

Tian Manman and Zhou Min had no objections, and Little Black was indifferent too, so they headed toward the location provided by the communicator.

Meanwhile, Zhang He hurriedly sent out a distress signal while struggling to fend off the attacks of a pack of mutant wolves.

Zhang He’s team consisted of his wife, Wu Mengting, and two other men—one with wind powers and the other with lightning powers.

Their strength was quite impressive, especially the lightning-wielder. With a single bolt of lightning, most mutant beasts they encountered were left half-dead.

They had been relatively lucky, encountering only Level 2 mutant beasts. However, the lightning-wielder was way too domineering. Although he always delivered the fatal blow, Zhang He felt that he and Wu Mengting had contributed as well. Yet the lightning-wielder flat-out stated that the crystal core should belong to him.

As for the mutant beast meat, he said he could spare some with Zhang He and Wu Mengting.

Zhang He and Wu Mengting were furious. What did he mean by "sparing a little mutant beast meat"? When he said this, the meat from the mutant beast they had killed was rotten, like some kind of weird creature—completely inedible!

The crystal core was the only useful part of that mutant beast, and it happened to be Earth-attribute, which Zhang He could use. But the lightning-wielder refused to give it to him, insisting on taking it back to the base to trade with others.

To make matters worse, the lightning-wielder and wind-wielder were brothers, so they united against Zhang He, leaving him with no way to argue.

Wu Mengting was so angry she wanted to fight, but Zhang He stopped her: "Drop it. We’re in the forest, surrounded by danger. If we fight and get injured, we’ll be in real trouble."

Zhang He made sense, so Wu Mengting had no choice but to bite her tongue.

They finally understood why these two Superhumans had chosen to team up with them instead of stronger individuals—it was because they were easy targets!

They had risked their lives coming to the forest, hoping to gather a few crystal cores to boost their strength, never expecting to end up empty-handed and suffer all the way.

When they encountered mutant beasts with edible meat, they could at least fill their bellies. But without any seasonings, their only way to prepare the meat was to simply roast it.

Moreover, they had no water to spare—the water they brought was only enough for drinking, so they couldn’t use it to wash the meat. They had to cut the meat directly, blood still on it, and roast it.

The taste of the roasted meat was indescribable, and they almost threw up eating it.

Not to mention, they couldn’t bathe. The days were extremely hot, so they inevitably sweated. After a few days, they started to stink. Sometimes, while hunting mutant beasts, blood would splatter on them, and they could only give it a quick wipe.

By now, they didn’t even dare to lower their heads and take a good whiff—the smell was beyond description.

Including the lightning-wielder, everyone had been having it rough these past few days.

But they didn’t think much of it—when you’re out on a mission, conditions are limited, and everyone faces the same challenges.

Except for Zhang He and Wu Mengting, who gained nothing and were full of resentment, the other two were quite happy. They felt that being in the forest wasn’t half bad. Even though the mutant beast meat didn’t taste good, it was still meat, energy-rich, and it filled their stomachs.

"It’s almost over," said the lightning-wielder, looking at the communicator showing the remaining unscanned areas of their zone. There wasn’t much left.

The wind-wielder nodded, glanced at Zhang He and Wu Mengting, and muttered, "I doubt any other team has it as easy as you two."

Wasn’t that basically calling them dead weight? Zhang He was so angry he almost saw red, but he had no choice but to endure it.

Wu Mengting was a Level 2 fire-type Superhuman, not weak by any means. However, Zhang He’s earth abilities were only at Level 1, almost Level 2, and with a powerful lightning-wielder against them, she and Zhang He would only suffer if they fought back.

As they neared the edge of their zone, they dropped their guard—until the lightning-wielder was the first to notice something wrong. He spotted a wolf.

The wolf was much larger than an ordinary wolf, clearly a mutant beast.

Without hesitation, the lightning-wielder struck it with a bolt of lightning, charring half its body. The wind-wielder quickly finished the job, and the wolf fell to the ground instantly.

Wind-wielder: "Bro, you’re amazing!"

Then, he glanced at Zhang He and the others: "You didn’t help at all this time, so don’t expect any mutant beast meat."

Zhang He and the others didn’t care anymore. Even if they helped, they’d only get a little meat—it wasn’t worth the effort.

However, just as the wind-wielder was about to go dig out the crystal core, Zhang He exclaimed, "Why are there more wolves?"

The wind-wielder laughed scornfully at his terrified expression: "It’s just one wolf. What are you so scared of?"

But then he heard his brother’s trembling voice: "There’s more than one…"

The wind-wielder looked up and saw a pack of wolves in the distance. The pack leader at the front was exceptionally large, and just one glance filled him with intense pressure. That pack leader was probably a Level 3 mutant beast!

Behind it were more than twenty wolves! Even if it were an ordinary wolf pack, a tiger would give wide berth, let alone a pack of mutant beasts.

Those pairs of gleaming green eyes fixed on them were downright chilling.

Soon, the pack leader launched an attack, and the pack quickly surrounded them. The pack leader seemed to recognize the lightning-wielder as the strongest and targeted him directly.

The lightning-wielder frantically dodged and attacked with lightning, but the pack leader was too fast—his bolts couldn’t land. In the process, he was bitten on the arm, blood pouring out instantly.

As for Zhang He and the others, they weren’t doing much better. Each of them was surrounded by several wolves. Zhang He’s earth abilities weren’t very offensive, mainly due to his low level, and he almost bought it multiple times.

Fortunately, he soon began coordinating with Wu Mengting. He used earth walls for defense while Wu Mengting attacked with fire, successfully burning several wolves up.

However, their actions only enraged the pack further, and they faced even fiercer attacks.

Zhang He and Wu Mengting were both injured, and the wind-wielder was in worse shape—he had an arm torn clean off by a wolf, savagely ripped off. His screams were blood-curdling.

The lightning-wielder’s eyes burned with rage, but he was too busy fighting the pack leader. He could only shout, "Zhang He, send a distress signal, quick!"

Zhang He managed to free a hand to send the signal, though he held out little hope. He feared they would die here today.

In the moment he was distracted, the earthen wall's defenses were breached, and a wolf savagely ripped a chunk of flesh from his leg.

Zhang He screamed in agony. The wolf attempted to attack again, but fortunately, Wu Mengting hurled a burst of fire, driving it away.

However, the continuous use of their abilities had left them utterly exhausted, and their abilities were weakening rapidly. It seemed they were on the verge of collapse.

Tears welled in Wu Mengting's eyes, maybe from the sweat stinging them. She closed her eyes: "Xingxing, Mom is coming to be with you."

Suddenly, the sound of an arrow whistling through the air was heard, and a wolf lunging at the wind-ability Superhuman crashed to the ground.

A clear, strong voice called out from not far away: "Stay alert, hang in there!"

Cheng Zhiyu glanced at Zhang He, surprised to see a familiar face.

But there was no time for pleasantries. The group immediately joined the battle.

With their assistance, the situation quickly turned around. Tian Qiao helped the lightning-ability Superhuman deal with the alpha wolf. The latter, already quite capable, felt a surge of renewed vigor with the backup—after all, no one wants to die if they can help it.

Soon, the wolf pack's numbers dwindled rapidly. Enraged by this, the alpha wolf let out a furious roar and attacked even more fiercely.

Tian Manman came over to assist. His speed was incredible, faster than the wolves themselves. With a single slash, he wounded a wolf, and when it tried to counterattack, he had already dashed elsewhere.

After the last wolf in the pack besides the alpha was dealt with, the alpha wolf also fell to the ground unwillingly, lifeless.

Zhang He collapsed onto the ground, the pain nearly causing him to faint. The wind-ability Superhuman was in even worse shape, having lost an arm and already passed out.

The lightning-ability Superhuman checked on his brother's condition. Superhumans have strong physiques, and the bleeding had stopped on its own; there was no immediate life threat. He breathed a sigh of relief—as long as he was alive, the arm could eventually be restored.

After making his brother comfortable, he turned to Cheng Zhiyu and the others sincerely. "Thank you. Without you, we might not have made it today."

Though domineering, the lightning-ability Superhuman wasn't foolish and showed respect to those with strength.

Tian Qiao, recognizing Zhang He as an acquaintance, went over to ask how he was doing.

Zhang He shook his head, forcing a weak smile. "...I'll be alright. Not dead yet."

Tian Qiao winced at the sight of the missing chunk of flesh on Zhang He's thigh, feeling a sympathetic pain. He patted Zhang He's shoulder gently. "It's okay. We've already notified the base; help should arrive soon."

Zhang He nodded.

Noticing this, the lightning-ability Superhuman asked, "You know each other?"

Cheng Zhiyu replied, "Yes, we came to Chaoyang Base together before."

The lightning-ability Superhuman's eyes flickered, aware that his previous actions had been unfair. Relieved that Zhang He didn't bring it up, he relaxed—though partly because Zhang He lacked the energy to speak.

The lightning-ability Superhuman said, "We owe you this time. The Crystal Cores from these wolves are all yours."

It pained him deeply as he spoke.

Cheng Zhiyu didn't agree immediately. After discussing with Tian Qiao and the others, he proposed, "We'll take two-thirds of the Crystal Cores and the pelts. The rest is yours. How does that sound?"

They didn't need the wolf meat, as their space was already full of mutant beast meat. As for the pelts, mutant beast hides were valuable—warm and offering some defense—so they definitely wanted them.

The lightning-ability Superhuman, initially heartbroken, was now pleasantly surprised. Even one-third of the Crystal Cores amounted to six or seven, plus the pelts and meat, which would set them up well at the base for a while.

He agreed promptly.

It was only then that the lightning-ability Superhuman noticed how clean and energetic Cheng Zhiyu's group looked, completely unlike their own disheveled state. They seemed as if they had just arrived.

Meanwhile, his own team couldn't have been more disheveled.

Weren't they all supposed to be in the same boat?!

While waiting for the base's pickup, they began extracting Crystal Cores and skinning the wolves. Being experienced, they worked quickly.

Perhaps because Zhang He knew Cheng Zhiyu's group, the lightning-ability Superhuman had a change of attitude and offered to split the Crystal Cores, meat, and pelts equally.

Zhang He, now somewhat recovered, smiled at the sight of such a bounty.

Tian Qiao noticed Wu Mengting caring for Zhang He, her demeanor completely different from before, and couldn't help but glance curiously a few times.

But it was their personal matter, so he didn't pry.

Soon, the base's helicopter arrived. However, with so many people, it couldn't take everyone at once. Cheng Zhiyu's group let Zhang He, the wind-ability Superhuman, and the others go first due to their injuries.

Before leaving, Zhang He said, "Cheng, Tian, once I'm healed at the base, I'll personally come to thank you. Where are you staying now?"

Tian Qiao told him the location. "No need for thanks. We just helped out."

They estimated they'd rest for a night and then leave the base, but there was no need to mention that.

Zhang He insisted, "I must. I'll find you as soon as I'm back."

After the helicopter left, Zhou Min pondered thoughtfully. "Are you and that Zhang He very close?"

Cheng Zhiyu shook his head. "Not really. We've met a few times."

Zhou Min sighed in relief. "Good. You should keep your distance from him."

Tian Qiao was curious, especially since Zhou Min had another ability besides his Healing Power. He asked, "Why do you say that?"

Zhou Min couldn't quite explain. "Just a weird feeling."

Tian Qiao pressed, "Did he lie just now?"

Zhou Min replied, "No, he didn't... but he just doesn't seem like a good person."

Having an ability to detect lies, over time, Zhou Min had developed a subconscious sense for people's character. He instinctively disliked Zhang He.

Tian Qiao shrugged. "Doesn't matter. We're leaving the base soon anyway. Probably won't see him again."

Zhou Min nodded, agreeing.

Soon, another helicopter arrived. Once onboard, they quickly put the topic of Zhang He behind them.

Although they had taken a helicopter before, it still felt novel the second time.

They soon arrived at the base. Zhou Min spotted Brother Zhang immediately after disembarking and hurried over. "Brother Zhang!"

Brother Zhang, relieved to see him unharmed and in good spirits—as the sole relative of a deceased comrade—greeted him warmly.

After exchanging greetings with Brother Zhang, Cheng Zhiyu and the others returned their communicators and learned that each would receive additional rewards for participating in the mission.

"Three thousand points or a Level 2 Crystal Core." The base preferred Superhumans to choose points, hence the generous offer.

Though Cheng Zhiyu's group currently had many Level 2 Crystal Cores, these were still rare. The reward was quite substantial, especially since each person could choose one.

Cheng Zhiyu and the others didn't plan to stay at the base, so of course they opted for the crystal cores.

Tian Qiao and the others each selected what they needed. Zhou Min didn't want to expose his healing ability, and the crystal core he needed hadn't appeared yet, so he simply chose Water-type, which Little Black could use.

After inquiring, Cheng Zhiyu opted for Planttype. He originally wanted a psychic-type crystal core, but unfortunately, the base didn't have any, so he settled for Planttype. Now, not only did Big Strong need it, but Little Roll did too.

This one was specifically for Little Roll.

Wrapped around his wrist and hidden by his sleeve, Little Roll happily rubbed against Cheng Zhiyu's wrist, tickling him. Cheng Zhiyu held it still to stop it from moving around.

Little Black: This darn weed is so irritating.

After returning, Little Roll went back into the system space to absorb the crystal core.

Cheng Zhiyu took out the crystal cores they had collected over the past few days. Those that could be used were distributed among the group, while the remaining fire-type ones were given to Little Two, and the earth and wind-types were planned to trade that day.

They didn’t have any use for those at the moment.

While trading crystal cores, Cheng Zhiyu and the others ran into Wang Li. Wang Li had been in a much better mood lately, mainly because the annoying Feng family was gone. Although two other rooms had new people moved in soon after, these people were much more normal, and they got along quite well.

Learning that Cheng Zhiyu and the others were leaving, Wang Li felt a little sorry. Unfortunately, she didn't have anything to give them and felt a bit guilty, especially since Cheng Zhiyu had given her quite a few things.

Items they'd been using temporarily in the room that couldn’t be taken along were given to Wang Li after confirming she didn’t mind.

Cheng Zhiyu and the others got lucky—they traded two earth-type and three wind-type crystal cores for two ice-type, one speed-type, one strength-type, and one water-type.

Lightning-type crystal cores were hard to trade, as they were relatively rare, and dealing with zombies or mutant beasts with such abilities was challenging.

Actually, the reason they managed to trade the crystal cores so quickly this time was thanks to the large number of Superhumans who had gone to the forest to hunt mutant beasts, resulting in many people having unused crystal cores lately.

After returning, Tian Qiao and the others went to their respective rooms to absorb the crystal cores. Zhou Min wasn't staying with them at the base but still stayed over: "Since we’re leaving tomorrow anyway, commuting back and forth is a hassle."

Of course, the main reason was that he didn’t want to miss out on dinner.

Cheng Zhiyu: Alright...

Back in his room, he glanced at Little Black, who was absorbing the crystal core, before entering the system space.

Soon, he was delighted to find that both Big Strong and Little Roll had reached level two thanks to the Planttype Crystal Core. At the same time, the system space expanded to 12*12 meters due to their upgrade.

That was about the size of a large studio apartment.

Little Roll had grown a bit bigger, but this time it didn’t play around by coiling around Cheng Zhiyu—mainly because Little Two and Little Iron were watching, so it didn’t dare.

However, Cheng Zhiyu was more curious about Big Strong’s changes. Unfortunately, it wasn't a good time to check while at the base, so he’d have to wait until they left.

Just less than a day to go! Cheng Zhiyu clenched his fist, mainly because he was so eager.

But since the system space had expanded a bit, he decided to take advantage of the free time at the base to do some more planting. This time, he focused on leafy greens.

For leafy greens, he chose lettuce. He had lettuce seeds, but since planting them near Little Two would turn them red—and eating them would make one feel feverish, unsuitable for daytime consumption—he planted them in the empty space next to Little Yellow, allowing for continuous harvesting, just like cutting chives.

Of course, the empty spaces near Little Two, Little Iron, and Big Strong weren’t left idle. As for the area near Little Roll, he made it promise repeatedly not to mess around before cautiously planting some chili peppers.

The chili peppers in the storage space were running low.

While he was busy planting chili peppers, Little Roll kept tapping him with its vines, like a bored child trying to get an adult’s attention.

Fortunately, it listened to Cheng Zhiyu’s instructions and didn’t disturb the planted chili peppers.

Cheng Zhiyu patted Little Roll and praised it: "Good boy."

Oh, and there was Little Yellow. It had recently reached level two and had started flowering and fruiting again. Cheng Zhiyu wondered what effects the fruit would have and got excited again.

After finishing up, he went to sleep. Early the next morning, everyone packed up and prepared to leave Chaoyang Base.

Unexpectedly, before they could leave, Zhang He and Wu Mengting showed up. They had come specifically to thank Cheng Zhiyu and the others for saving him the day before.

After just one night’s rest, Zhang He was in much better spirits. The wound on his thigh must have been treated by a Healer, as there was no sign of injury left.

He said: "Thanks to the base—they said injuries from the forest are treated for free. They even contacted a Healer. Otherwise, I’d have suffered for several more days."

After all, Healers weren’t easy to find.

Tian Qiao nodded upon hearing this: "The base really is great."

Zhang He hesitated for a moment but couldn’t help asking: "Don’t mind me asking, but Chaoyang Base is such a rare, good base. Why don’t you want to stay?"

Tian Qiao explained they were going home. Zhang He didn’t press further after hearing that.

Tian Qiao smiled and changed the subject: "Hey, did you patch things up with your wife?"

Zhang He nodded: "She consulted a psychic and finally believed me."

He didn’t want to say more, but Zhou Min leaned in, completely tactless: "A psychic? What did you need a psychic for?"

Tian Qiao shot him a look: What are you doing? Asking everything.

But Zhou Min acted as if he didn’t see it and continued asking Zhang He: "Did you lose a relative?"

Wu Mengting’s expression darkened. Mentioning her Xingxing made her heart ache terribly.

Zhang He patted her comfortingly and still smiled: "It’s my... daughter. Mengting misunderstood me about Xingxing... Luckily, the psychic helped clear things up."

He seemed reluctant to say more. Tian Qiao said awkwardly: "Don’t mind him. He’s not all there."

Zhang He smiled weakly.

But Zhou Min remained utterly tactless and asked: "So, your daughter’s death really had nothing to do with you?"

Zhang He’s face changed, and he instinctively said: "Of course not!"

Wu Mengting had been quiet since Xingxing’s death, but that didn’t mean she had no temper. Zhou Min’s repeated offenses, especially regarding her Xingxing, made her finally snap, and she made a move to hit him.

Zhou Min quickly dodged, moving smoothly, and hid behind Cheng Zhiyu. Once he felt safe, he peeked out and said: "But you’re lying. I can tell—you’re lying."