Chapter 65: Venturing into Stellar Rift (Part-4)
The moment he saw it was a King Tier, Leng Xuenyi’s black wolf from the Hunter Exam flashed in his mind. He witnessed the power of a Lord Tier with his own eyes and despite being Epic grade, he can guess that this monster is only stronger than that lightning wolf. And Lin Fang is aware that neither he nor his direwolf is a match for it. He couldn’t imagine himself standing against such might.
"Sh*t!" Hu Gouzi also blurted aloud in urgency, his usual grin wiped clean off his face completely. "That’s a Lord Tier!"
Everyone’s faces turned grim.
"Follow me!" Yujing barked in panic. "We cannot fight it in the woods."
She whistled sharply. Li Ying tugged her reins and swooped down on her Wyvern, extending a hand toward Lin Fang. He grabbed it tightly and hauled himself onto the saddle behind her.
In just a moment, the squad’s formation scattered as they bolted away.
"Shredder, Escape!" Mokong shouted desperately.
The mantis’s body flashed with a faint glow for a second, and with a shhhk sound, it blinked several meters away, teleporting free of the crushing coils. But the act only enraged the Rocky Boa further. *Graaa* It let out a guttural roar, its massive body smashing trees aside as it thundered after them.
The squad sprinted eastward, clinging to saddles and harnesses as the canyon’s jagged outline finally emerged ahead. They darted through narrow pathways until at last they burst into open terrain.
When the dust settled, the Rocky Boa did not follow. Its roar faded into the distance.
The group dismounted carefully, each breath heavy with tension. Before them stood a jagged peak that loomed high into the sky, cutting the clouds like a blade.
Fan Yujing glanced upward with a darkened face. "Yesterday, when we scouted here... we faced another King Tier. While escaping it, we accidentally discovered the Five-Tailed Fox."
Lin Fang blinked in a restless mind. Another King Tier?
He clenched his fists unconsciously.
It wasn’t just him. Everyone suddenly grew nervous at those words, too. They escaped the pursuit of a King tier monster after all. And no one is ready to face another such beast.
"Cap." Keith’s voice broke the momentary silence. The man had leapt a short distance, crouching low as he brushed dirt away. When he straightened, something heavy and metallic hung from his grasp. He handed it to Yujing.
The captain’s eyes widened at the sight, an armored wrist guard, black and gleaming faintly even under the shadow of the canyon.
Li Ying gasped at the sight, recognizing the item. "That... that’s a Black Gold Wrist Guard!"
Yujing’s jaw tightened. His face paled at once in horror. "This belonged to one of the Black Gold Warriors..." He muttered, his voice grim. "This is bad. Very bad."
Lin Fang tilted his head in confusion, wondering who these Black Gold Warriors were, but before he could ask, Li Ying explained softly, her tone carrying weight. "The Black Gold Warriors are twenty Elites of the Dark Warriors Guild. Every single one of them is an A-rank Hunter and capable of defeating a Lord Tier on their own. A team of five of them is enough to take down any King Tier monster. Master Li went with one of the teams to tackle the leader of this realm, the Blood Flame Tailed Fox.
Lin Fang’s throat went dry. His mind spun. Strong enough to fight a Lord Tier... and yet... one of them lost their hands. Could it be a King Tier?
He swallowed hard, a nervous chill crawling up his spine.
Meanwhile, Fan Yujign narrowed his eyes, scanning both sides of the jagged peak where the path split. To the left, there are jagged rock formations. And to the right, the route would likely take them into the woodlands.
Taking into account, he pointed to the right. "The grasslands are safer. The monsters there are relatively peaceful and won’t outright attack humans."
Lin Fang raised his hand. "Wait. Aren’t we here to fight monsters? It is understandable to run away from a King Tier monster, but why are we deliberately taking a peaceful route?"
Bo Mokong snorted. "Tch. What does a rookie like you know?"
Lin Fang raised a brow, refusing to back down. "As if an experienced one like you knows any better. Just earlier, you almost led us into a death trap, not listening to my warning all. "
"You little sh—" Bo Mokong flared, stepping forward aggressively. "Don’t think I won’t teach you a lesson just because you’re Li Xue’s boy toy."
"Boy toy?" Lin Fang narrowed his eyes, gazing at him intensely in anger. The direwolf pup he was holding in his arms felt hatred from its master, and raising its head, it stared at the flying mantis. The Commander Tier monster felt the gaze, and it stiffened for a moment.
Right then, Fan Yujing stepped in between them. Maintaining his usual sharp demeanor despite earlier cowardice of running away, he said. "Lin Fang is new here. He doesn’t yet understand how things work. Mokong, you were also once a rookie—don’t forget that."
Bo Mokong clicked his tongue but stayed silent, still glaring at Lin Fang.
Fan Yujing then turned to Lin Fang and calmly pointed out. "And you. Please refrain from comments that incite anger among teammates. Remember that even though we are all guildmates, when a life and death situation arises, we will let go of the ones that are troubling us, whether physically or mentally. Also, Explorers tend to be straightforward, so misunderstandings happen often. As a rookie, try to adjust to everyone’s temperament here."
Lin Fang stared back at him for a moment, then sighed and nodded. He needed to live with this group for the next three to seven days, and he was fully aware of the grudges borne by the rich or the strong people. He didn’t have Li Xue or Li Chengfeng with him. There was no one he could trust his back. And now, with the captain’s warning, Lin Fang understood the reality that his life and death is at their mercy as long as he is in this beast world. As a result, raising his hand slightly, he turned to Bo Mokong. "Sorry. My bad."
Bo Mokong snorted, "Hmph. As long as you know your place."
With tensions cooled, the group moved toward the grasslands.
But, just then—BOOM!
A firework burst into the sky, its crimson flare clearly visible even under the midday light. It came from the direction of the woodlands.
Fan Yujin’s face stiffened. "Sh*t. That’s an SOS. Someone’s in trouble."
Keith frowned. "Captain, we don’t know what danger lies ahead."
"Yes, but we can’t ignore it," Fan Yujin said firmly. "Listen, we follow the same rule. If it’s a Lord Tier monster, we take the risk and fight. If it’s a King Tier, we run. Now, move..."
As they sprinted toward the grasslands, soon, they came across a scene of chaos. A man and a woman in battle gear stumbled backward, both bloodied and exhausted. Behind them, a massive battle raged between a giant lizard and an undead beast shaped like a grotesque elephant.
Fan Yujin’s face went pale. "Damn it... It has to be this one? We can’t stay here—we have to run."