Chapter 130: Encounter with the Spirit Demon

The following Sunday, Luo Chen and Zhuo Yuqing returned to the Forest of Fear, just as they had done before. Their cooperation was far smoother during this second outing. Perhaps due to the influence of the monster surge, they encountered significantly more beasts. By noon, they had already taken down over twenty, and their luck had been exceptional, yielding two crystal cores. If the afternoon proved just as fruitful, their earnings for the day would surely double.

Zhuo Yuqing was quite excited. "Captain, we’re really going to strike it rich this time! Hehe..."

Influenced by Luo Chen, the school beauty had developed a bit of a mercenary streak, constantly talking about getting rich.

Luo Chen laughed. "It seems we’re in a period of peak fortune today. However, it definitely has something to do with the monster surge. I’ve hunted in the Forest of Fear for a long time, and I’ve never had it this easy to lure them out. It’s a good thing, but also a bad one. If the monster population continues to increase, we’ll likely have to suspend our hunting soon."

Zhuo Yuqing didn't seem to care. "Why worry? The more, the better! These are all just money!"

"No, Student Zhuo Yuqing. As a hunter, there is one thing you must never be: greedy!" Luo Chen used the words of the veteran hunter Taylor to lecture her. "We only have one life. If we encounter a single accident during a hunt, we could lose everything. We can't afford to gamble! Even though you are very strong, there are plenty of formidable monsters in this world, and many possess strange, unpredictable abilities."

Luo Chen thought of the monster with the mental attack and still felt a lingering fear.

Zhuo Yuqing shared the same sentiment, as she had encountered that mental-attacking beast even earlier than he had, nearly losing her life in the process.

Zhuo Yuqing tentatively asked, "Captain, if one day you discovered I had done something to wrong you—something quite significant—would you forgive me?"

"Haha, that wouldn't happen!" Luo Chen laughed. "We have no grudges or enmity, why would you harm me?"

Zhuo Yuqing persisted. "I’m just saying, *if* it were to happen. Answer the question first!"

"Fine, I would forgive you, but..." Luo Chen walked over to her and looked at her with an ambiguous expression that made her feel uncomfortable. She wondered if he expected her to pay him back with her body—he could forget that!

Luo Chen continued, "But, I would need you to pay me money to compensate for my mental anguish. Hehehehe..."

So it was just that? Why did he have to look at her with such a lecherous gaze, making her heart pound? Zhuo Yuqing cursed him internally, but she also felt a sense of relief. She found it strange; she had never cared what others thought, so why did she feel a sense of guilt now? Even she didn't understand. It was because she was finally living the life of a normal person, no longer an experimental subject or a martial arts machine; interpersonal relationships had become an important part of her life.

"Captain, you promised. You have to keep your word!"

"I am a man of my word; I would never go back on it." Luo Chen assumed she was just making idle talk; with her unique personality, asking strange questions was nothing out of the ordinary.

He finished collecting the materials from the beasts and stood up. "Alright, enough of that nonsense. Let’s make the most of our time and hunt a few more! Once the monster surge fully erupts, it won't be safe to go out, and we'll run out of supplies. Better to save up some money while we can!"

Just as they were about to head to a new spot, the weather changed abruptly. One moment the sun was shining brightly, and the next, the sky turned pitch black. Rolling, thick clouds emerged like churning smoke, accompanied by low rumbles of thunder. Lightning flickered within the clouds, and a stifling atmosphere descended upon the land.

Within minutes, the world had darkened. Luo Chen said, "Bad news. A thunderstorm is coming. Let's find shelter. Large trees attract lightning, so let’s find a spot with fewer trees!"

By the time they hurriedly found a small clearing and hid behind a rare rock, the downpour had already begun. Fortunately, Luo Chen had previous hunting experience and had bought a raincoat, and he had suggested that Zhuo Yuqing prepare one as well.

Zhuo Yuqing grumbled, "What's going on? This rain came so suddenly! It almost got me soaked again!"

This comment triggered some wicked thoughts in Luo Chen. The last time a sudden rainstorm had occurred, Zhuo Yuqing had ended up staying overnight in his dormitory, sparking rumors at the academy that hadn't been cleared up to this day.

Just as he was about to say something, Luo Chen grew alert, and Zhuo Yuqing let out a sharp cry of surprise. There was nothing around the clearing, yet that inexplicable sense of danger lingered in their hearts.

Their intuition was correct. Soon, the flowing rainwater began to lift off the ground, coalescing into translucent, octopus-like water monsters, though these had four legs. At the same time, the soil began to churn and swell, and dog-like creatures crawled out. They looked exactly like hunting dogs, but they were coated in mud—their eyes, tongues, mouths, noses, and even their fur were made of clay, looking like statues.

Yet, these statues moved. They roared and advanced toward Luo Chen and Zhuo Yuqing.

Luo Chen stared in disbelief. "Spirit Beasts!"

These must be the legendary Spirit Beasts. Their emergence was entirely different from ordinary monsters; they seemed to spawn just like monsters in a video game.

The Spirit Beasts quickly surrounded the duo. Several water monsters swam forward, extending tentacles that densely crowded the space.

"Student Zhuo Yuqing, back against the rock so we don't get flanked!" As Luo Chen spoke, his palm rapidly expanded. "Second-tier martial skill—Great Palm Seal!"

With that strike, a dozen tentacles were shattered. Luo Chen breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed these water monsters were relatively low-level Spirit Beasts.

However, to his shock, the water monster with the severed tentacles quickly absorbed the rain and regrew eight new ones, seemingly suffering no damage at all.

Simultaneously, several clay dogs lunged forward. Luo Chen struck both palms, hitting two of the dogs. One was sent flying with a massive crater in its chest, but it quickly repaired itself with mud, while the other had its head exploded and collapsed into a pile of sludge.

*Right,* he thought. The instructor from the "Monster Compendium" had said that many Spirit Beasts have rapid regeneration in environments favorable to them, but striking their vital points could destroy them completely.

Luo Chen shouted, "Student Zhuo Yuqing, their weakness is their head! Also, they aren't even as strong as third-tier monsters—save your spiritual energy, don't use high-consumption moves!"

"Got it, Captain!" Zhuo Yuqing began her performance. She used the Ripple Steps to dodge gracefully among the pack, her jade fingers moving like drills as she pierced through the heads of the dogs, quickly disabling three of them. She then used the tiny space to dodge a dozen tentacles and dashed toward a water monster, slicing her palm like a blade to decapitate it. The monster continued to squirm, its tentacles lashing back, but Zhuo Yuqing didn't hesitate. She struck again, this time thrusting her hand into the beast's abdomen, causing the water monster and its tentacles to collapse into a puddle of rain.

"Captain, I've verified it! The water monster's weakness is its abdomen!"

Luo Chen said happily, "Well done!"

Once their weaknesses were identified, they were much easier to handle. Suddenly, the rock behind them began to rise. Luo Chen turned around to see an exceptionally large water monster pulling the rock out of the ground with its tentacles. The rock weighed at least two thousand pounds, yet the creature could move it. Luo Chen couldn't help but curse, "Damn monster, what strength!"

It seemed this water monster was of a higher level and quite clever, knowing how to remove obstacles to flank them.