A tidal wave of giant, earth-yellow rats surged forward, each about three decimeters long. They slammed into the massive trees with such force that the ground trembled violently, and their gaping mouths revealed wicked teeth that gleamed like metal in the sun.
At the forefront of this rat tide, two middle-aged men fled in panic, despair flooding their eyes.
Xu Xiaoyu's face showed reluctance as she looked toward her uncle, Zhou Shi.
Zhou Shi merely shook his head coldly and made a gesture for silence.
Chen Shu likewise remained silent, clutching his two Ice Field Rabbits in a death grip to prevent them from falling.
He'd already sacrificed two rabbits just to achieve takeoff—there was no way in hell he was letting these go.
"NO!!"
One of the middle-aged men fell half a step behind and was instantly devoured by the Steel Fanged Rats, leaving behind nothing but a puddle of blood—not even bones remained.
The other man scrambled up a large tree, thinking he'd bought himself a moment to breathe.
The next scene made his liver and gallbladder split with terror.
Circles upon circles of Steel Fanged Rats surrounded the tree's base. They opened their massive jaws and began gnawing at the wood with manic intensity.
SCREEECH... SCREEECH...
With a sound like electric saws cutting through the trunk, the tree instantly became precarious.
"Xiaoyu, leave!"
Zhou Shi's sharp eyes caught the tree's trajectory—it would hit the Flame Bird. He called out immediately.
BOOM!
The massive tree crashed down. The Flame Bird narrowly dodged aside.
But Zhou Shi's voice had given away their position.
"Someone's there?! SAVE ME!"
The middle-aged man clung to a branch, desperation flooding his voice as he screamed hoarsely at the sky.
Silence.
The man's face twisted with rage and resentment. "If I'm dying, I'm taking you bastards with me!"
A Green Silk Worm appeared, launching itself ferociously toward Zhou Shi's direction.
As a veteran Beast Tamer, Zhou Shi had anticipated this. He'd already moved aside.
"NOOO!"
The man's face went slack with despair as he tumbled into the rat swarm. The outcome was predictable.
His body vanished completely, leaving behind only a golden fruit.
A massive Steel Fanged Rat stepped forward, eyes gleaming with malice. It clutched the fruit tightly and roared upward in clear challenge.
"A Lord-level Steel Fanged Rat!"
Zhou Shi's expression tightened. They'd encountered a Lord-level fierce beast on day one—but he had no intention of engaging it.
If the eight of them dared to land, the Steel Fanged Rats would obviously try to eat them all.
Finally, the rat leader let out a commanding screech. The massive rat tide quickly dispersed and vanished.
A Black Crow appeared, scouting the surroundings. Only after confirming the rats were gone did the eight people return to the ground.
Xu Xiaoyu's face was heavy. "Uncle, why didn't we..."
Zhou Shi's expression was serious. "You saw it yourself—he tried to drag us down with him."
Old Deng sighed from the side. "Blue Star is different from Alternate Dimensions. There, we have strict laws and powerful enforcement. Here? This is lawless territory. Even if someone kills you, no one would know."
"I hope you won't become a bad person, but don't be a doormat either.¹ Instead, learn to be an observer.³"
Zhou Shi gave Xu Xiaoyu a meaningful look.
Beside them, Chen Shu's fists clenched tight. He couldn't help but curse: "Shit!"
Seeing Chen Shu's reaction, Zhou Shi shook his head. "Little Chen, life and death are fated..."
"Those groundhogs ate both my Ice Field Rabbits!!"² Chen Shu's face was a picture of heartbreak.
Zhou Shi's words of wisdom died in his throat. Classic you...
Also, what the hell are groundhogs? Can you not randomly nickname the fierce beasts...
"Let's go. Don't know if it's good luck or bad, but running into a Lord-level creature on day one..."
In a one-on-one fight, Zhou Shi could handle a same-level Lord with his two Black Iron rank Contract Spirits.
But the enemy had way too many minions. One Claw Wolf definitely couldn't satisfy that many Steel Fang Rats.
To avoid another rat encounter, the group changed direction.
Night fell quietly, stars dotting the clear sky.
Even at night, Qingyuan Forest remained beautiful like a hidden paradise. Shame about the fierce beast roars echoing occasionally from all directions.
Crackle... pop...
Chen Shu had specifically set up a simple barbecue rack. Several iron skewers pierced through the two giant Ice Field Rabbits.
As the campfire burned, a layer of fragrant oil appeared, basting the rabbits and crisping the skin. Chen Shu sprinkled on salt, cumin, and pepper, and the rising flames produced an enticing sizzle.
When the aroma spread, their previous driver Old Wang swallowed hard.
"Little Chen, Uncle Wang was wrong. What you brought aren't useless things."
Everyone donned heat-resistant gloves and quickly tore into the Ice Field Rabbits.
The moment the tender meat hit their tongues, smiles bloomed on every face, and Chen Shu had, without question, conquered the entire Beast Tamer group—admittedly, through food.
"Too bad there's no sauce or wine."
Chen Shu shook his head with a hint of regret.
In Alternate Dimensions, everyone usually just ate compressed food—survival was enough.
Who'd think to bring a bunch of spices and a barbecue rack?
The eight of them quickly devoured both giant Ice Field Rabbits. Even Xu Xiaoyu patted her belly with satisfaction.
After dinner, Beast Tamer Group 666 arranged night watch duties, which included Chen Shu and Xu Xiaoyu, as they were there to learn survival, not for a vacation. For protection, Zhou Shi sprinkled a packet of expensive Silver-rank Lord-level beast dung around the camp to deter low-level threats, while the Claw Wolf was left out to crouch by the fire, its eyes half-closed in constant vigilance.
The night passed peacefully.
...
Early the next morning, the group set out again.
Chen Shu grabbed his military backpack and very consciously climbed onto the Flame Bird's back, earning another round of disgruntled screeching.
As they ventured deeper into Qingyuan Forest, fierce beast encounters increased.
The Claw Wolf went on a rampage, eliminating all attacking fierce beasts.
The group successfully captured three Azure Eye Snakes as planned, sealing them in special pouches and stuffing them in backpacks.
The party headed deeper into Qingyuan Forest, hoping to find Level 2 Iron Core Fruits.
Even by the sixth day, they still hadn't found the fruits. They had, however, collected over 200,000 Huaxia Currency worth of herbs. Considering the tickets cost 30,000 per person, they had basically broke even.
"Uncle Zhou, over there..."
Chen Shu spoke up from atop the Flame Bird.
In the distance, bright flags were planted on giant trees, bearing the words "Spirit Suppression."
"It's an Alternate Dimension supply point."
Zhou Shi looked that way too. "We don't need supplies now. Let's keep going forward."
Since there was a supply point ahead, there definitely wouldn't be herbs or fierce beasts nearby. The group changed direction again.
The next day, just as everyone reached a forked road,
Chen Shu's expression suddenly froze. Options had appeared before his eyes again.