Chapter 140: The Trials of Xyl (Part-5)

The ground trembled as a massive portal spiraled open, expanding outward in a blue vortex.

Feng Xiu then said in the megaphone, “Now, step through the portal. You’ll be randomly teleported across the wilderness.”

He paused, then added a reminder as an afterthought, “Oh, and also, those who wish to travel together… you must maintain physical contact with your teammates and monster companions while entering.”

Over the next hour, hunters began to move. Some hunters clutched hands, others held onto their monsters’ fur, scales, or tails as they stepped into the portal. And some scrambled to the stores to buy recommended items.

From the side, Feng Xiu’s gaze fell on Lin Fang as he was stepping inside. He leaned slightly toward one of the nearby military instructors and spoke in a low tone. “Keep an eye on Number 23,” he said quietly.

The instructor stiffened. “Understood, sir.”

As Lin Fang stepped into the glowing portal, the light swallowed him whole, and in the next instant, he vanished from the campsite.

He found himself standing in a misty grove surrounded by towering trees with wide bark. The air around him was thick with humidity, and the smell of wet earth filled his nose.

He glanced around. No movement, no sound except for the soft chirping of a few birds perched on a nearby branch. Their heads glowed faintly orange while their feathers shimmered with blue in the dim light.

Lin Fang squinted and whispered, “These are…”

He inspected them to confirm his speculations.

The floating holographic screen showed:

Rainbird

Level: 5 (Max: Level09)

Element: Wind

“I knew it… It’s the rainbird…” Lin Fang murmured. It was a common sparrow-like monster that appears before rainfall.

While they are in no way a threat to anyone, their appearance in open areas is a natural omen of incoming rain. And he couldn’t help but glance at the sky where dark clouds began gathering. “Better find a safehouse before the rain…”

He just stepped forward, only to realize that his shoe had slightly stepped into the soft mud. He glanced down and saw that the ground beneath was spongy. The entire terrain was gradually descending into a swamp.”

Lin Fang couldn’t help but groan in complaint of his bad luck. “Ugh… I had to be teleported here, of all the places? I can’t even set up a tent here, despite considering the risk of getting caught by a monitoring drone.”

Looking at the map installed in the watch he bought from Camp 2’s store for 1000 credits, he started moving quickly through the underbrush.

And within minutes, the first drops of rain began to fall.

Drip.

Drop.

Drip…

It didn’t take a long time for the drizzle to turn into a downpour. The entire forest was soon showered by the roar of rainfall, affecting the movements and visibility of everyone who was transported around this place.

Just like others, Lin Fang’s visibility also dropped drastically as the rain thickened. Even with his enhanced senses, the dense rain blurred the outlines of trees, and his steps began to splash through knee-deep puddles.

He murmured, half to himself, “At this rate, the swamp will flood soon. Maybe, I should consider flying…”

While he was pondering whether he should just fly over the forest, Alpha’s words filled his head. “Stop. Commander-Tier ahead.”

Lin Fang halted instantly. He instinctively slowed down his breathing, lowering his body slightly, ready to move in any direction. “Where?” he asked.

“North-east. Around eighty meters. It’s moving slowly, possibly submerged.”

Lin Fang’s eyes narrowed, scanning the faint ripples across the dark water ahead. The rain made it difficult to distinguish movement. He knew that he couldn’t depend on his eyes, as the thick rain had clouded that little bit of advantage one had before the sun completely set and darkness took over the place.

He could’ve taken out the torchlight he brought with him for better visibility, but that would mean occupying one hand. And in a battle, it will only become a disadvantage.

As a result, focusing his mana flow into his five senses, he continued to walk ahead before sinking his boots in the muddy water, and as if he were not cautious. The waters reached halfway up his legs, soaking through his pants, but he ignored the discomfort.

Lightning cracked faintly in the sky right above him, followed by the low rumble of thunder. The rainfall wasn’t stopping any time soon.

He whispered under his breath, “Alright then. Let’s see what kind of monster wanted to ambush me in a swamp like this…”

Somewhere ahead, beneath the murky surface, a low hiss reverberated. The water quivered violently.

Lin Fang could sense the monster was twenty meters ahead, and he was prepared.

But in the next instant, his eyes widened as the monster suddenly burst forward beneath the water like lightning, and something massive burst out of the muddy water before him, taking him by surprise. It was a serpent’s head, wider than his torso, lunging straight toward his face.

Lin Fang’s reflexes, honed by many dangers he faced in the recent past, kicked in. His legs moved on their own, and as he jumped back while the Serpent’s head missed its bite just by a couple of inches, Lin Fang’s hand then moved toward it while he was in mid-air.

“Activate, fireball.”

With an instant casting skill, he unleashed the attack. A searing globe of crimson flame roared out from his palm, exploding directly into the creature’s head.

BOOM!

The explosion on the collision generated a wave that pushed him further. He flew to the back but managed to land in the water, on his feet. Meanwhile, the impact scattered steaming water in all directions, the swamp lighting up for an instant as heat vaporized the rain around him. The serpent’s head which was hit entirely charred up to its neck.

Its body thrashed violently for a few seconds before its eyes went blank and it collapsed into the waters, splashing water around.

The system’s notification chimed in his head:

*Ding!

[You have slain Level-32 Blue Anaconda]

[Monster is found to be Rare Grade]

[You received 3200 coins.]

[+100 Common Grade spirit fragments absorbed by System’s will.]

Lin Fang landed in the mud with a splash, breathing out slowly. His heart rate refused to be steady as he glanced at the smoking remains of the serpent that was half floating on the waters. “Damn it… I blew up the skull.”

The rules echoed in his mind… “Bring the head for the points…”

There went the 200 points he could’ve earned. Still, he wasn’t too upset.

After all, he wasn’t here for the points and gain hunter class. He was here for three things. One, to test his strength, as he didn’t get any opportunity to do so, ever since he inherited Li Chengfeng’s legacy. Two, to clear the remaining 300,000 coins of debt with the system and gain as many coins as he can by killing monsters legally. Three, get the license certification, as without a hunter’s license, he cannot legally enter the dungeons. Not to mention, now that he is the Huaxi city’s branch manager of Zero guild, he needs a hunter’s license to revive the guild, at the very least.

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