The group had been following the main road for two hours, and everything remained eerily peaceful with no sign of danger.
"Everyone stay alert from here on!"
Zhou Shi led the team off the main road onto an unmarked trail. The overgrown vegetation immediately put everyone on edge.
Another half hour of trekking passed.
Chen Shu and Xu Xiaoyu stayed safely in the middle of the formation. Chen Shu strolled along with his hands clasped behind his head, but his eyes constantly scanned their surroundings.
"Huh? Uncle Zhou, that branch is moving!"
Chen Shu suddenly spotted movement in the tree above—a branch slowly writhing in an unnatural way.
The experienced Zhou Shi reacted instantly, barking out, "Moving branch? That's no branch! Watch out!"
Chen Shu's eyes widened as the "branch" suddenly transformed into a massive snake, lunging at him with bared fangs.
The snake stretched nearly two meters long, looking absolutely vicious and reeking of something putrid.
BOOM!
A thunderous impact rang out, and the snake's previously fierce eyes bulged as if they were about to pop.
A six-meter behemoth had appeared out of nowhere, pinning the snake beneath its bulk.
"What the hell?!"
The snake's mind filled with bitter despair. I thought I'd scored a nice meal today, but no—a giant turd just fell from the sky!
Everyone stared in shock at the massive slime that had materialized, still snoring peacefully.
Chen Shu let out a relieved breath. Good thing he'd reacted quickly.
"You vile beast! Think you can handle a thousand-jin slam?"
"Hisssss!"
Despite the excruciating pain, the snake launched a counterattack, its head snapping forward to bite Chen Shu's leg.
"Oops, can't reach me, can't reach me..."
Chen Shu hopped backward strategically, landing just outside the snake's attack range.
"I'm back!" Chen Shu stepped forward again, taunting the snake.
"Still can't reach me..."
"I'm back again..."
Watching Chen Shu bounce back and forth like some demented bunny rabbit, everyone's faces darkened with secondhand embarrassment. What kind of person does this?
"HISSSSSS!!!"
At that moment, the thoroughly humiliated snake let out one final, despairing shriek before expiring—not from its injuries, but from pure, unadulterated shame.²
"Ah, it was just a Level 5 Camouflage Snake. What terrible karma from its past life led to this..." Zhou Shi sighed, and his black wolf promptly opened its massive jaws and swallowed the corpse whole.
While Chen Shu's actions were despicably trollish, no one could fault his lightning reflexes or his slime's impressive combat power. But still... the sheer shamelessness…
The group continued onward, hiking for yet another hour.
Xu Xiaoyu looked exhausted. As a girl, her stamina naturally couldn't match the others.
Fortunately, her Flame Bird had grown strong enough to carry someone, though it would affect its combat effectiveness. Not that they really needed it for fighting anyway.
As Xiaoyu prepared to mount the Flame Bird, Chen Shu suddenly appeared beside her with a concerned expression. "Xiaoyu, let me carry your backpack for you."
"No need..."
Xu Xiaoyu shook her head, declining politely.
"Come on, I have something to tell you—I made it into the senior year special training class! We'll be classmates from now on."
Chen Shu patted his chest confidently, smoothly relieving Xiaoyu of her backpack before—in one fluid motion—vaulting onto the Flame Bird...
The Flame Bird shot him a resentful glare. So you had ulterior motives all along...
"You made it into the special training class?"
Xu Xiaoyu's mouth fell open in surprise.
"Of course! Just accidentally aced it," Chen Shu grinned, patting the Flame Bird's warm back. "Alright Little Flame, time to fly."
Only then did Xu Xiaoyu realize this shameless guy had somehow ninja'd his way onto her mount.
The Flame Bird wasn't huge, but it could just fit two people.
"Let's go."
Zhou Shi sighed. He'd gotten used to Chen Shu's unconventional methods.
Now that Chen Shu had already seated himself, trying to get this shameless guy off would be impossible.
"Uncle Zhou, are your backpacks heavy? I can help carry them."
Chen Shu waved cheerfully, feeling wonderfully unburdened.
"SCREECH!"
The Flame Bird opened its beak wide, its body temperature rising noticeably.
What do you mean YOU can carry them? Isn't it still ME doing all the work?
"Don't get worked up, don't get worked up..." Chen Shu patted the bird's back soothingly.
"Holy crap!" His head snapped up, eyes laser-focused on something ahead. "Power Herbs!"
"Hm?"
Everyone tensed, following his line of sight.
Several hundred meters away, three Power Herbs swayed gently in the breeze, looking incredibly tempting.
"Kid, you've got eagle eyes!" Old Deng hadn't expected Chen Shu's vision to be so sharp.
"Quiet!"
Zhou Shi's expression turned serious. Anywhere precious herbs or minerals grew, fierce beasts usually stood guard.
"Old Deng, send your Iron-backed Beast to scout."
THUD THUD THUD. The lizard-like Iron-backed Beast lumbered forward on thick legs toward the herbs.
Just as it approached, massive ice spheres suddenly materialized.
From the bushes behind the herbs emerged several meter-tall rabbits, their eyes glowing an icy blue as they continuously spat huge ice balls from their mouths.
The Iron-backed Beast's already slow movement ground to a complete halt, practically frozen in place.
But it was called Iron-backed Beast for a reason—its defensive capabilities were legendary, offering resistance not just to physical attacks but elemental damage as well.
Shhhhhk! Shhhhhk!
Nine Ice Field Rabbits appeared in total, bombarding the Iron-backed Beast with ice attacks, keeping it pinned.
Without reinforcements, the Iron-backed Beast would eventually be worn down.
"Attack!"
At Zhou Shi's command, his massive black wolf pushed off its hind legs and pounced forward at incredible speed.
Chen Shu sat on the Flame Bird, watching the black wolf intently.
His high school Beast Taming knowledge kicked in—he recognized it as a D-rank Sharp Claw Wolf evolved into a C-rank Rend Claw Wolf.
A Black Iron rank Rend Claw Wolf could easily annihilate those Ice Field Rabbits, since the strongest was only Level 8.
Sure enough, the Rend Claw Wolf let out a bone-chilling howl as its front claws suddenly gleamed with an ominous black light.
Its talent skill 'Rending Claws'!
The Ice Field Rabbits sensed the Black Iron aura and panic flashed in their blue eyes, but it was too late to flee.
Two Ice Field Rabbits were instantly shredded, blood spraying everywhere.
"Ah!"
Xu Xiaoyu couldn't help crying out at the sight, though she forced herself to keep watching.
This was her first time in an Alternate Dimension; despite being a Level 7 Beast Tamer, she'd never killed a fierce beast before. Seeing such carnage was naturally shocking, but she forced herself to adapt, knowing a Beast Tamer who couldn't fight was just wasting resources.
Curious to see how Chen Shu was handling it, since they were the same age, Xu Xiaoyu glanced sideways.
But Chen Shu had audibly gulped and was already muttering to himself, "Should I go with cumin seasoning? Or maybe numbing-spicy...?"¹