In the group ahead, a middle-aged man suddenly became animated.
"This is great! Boss Lei has leveled up! Avenging Chen Jun will be much easier now!"
"Lao Wang, what exactly happened to Chen Jun?"
"Ah, here's the thing," Lao Wang began with a sigh. "I was scouting with Chen Jun, and we ran into two Venomous Nine-ringed Snakes in that small forest. We knew we were in trouble and immediately ran.
"Unfortunately, Chen Jun was too slow and got caught by one of the snakes, swallowed whole. I awakened a speed-related talent, so I managed to lure the other snake away and escaped here.
"Thankfully, all of you arrived, and we managed to kill that snake… but this place, it's terrifying!"
His face was still pale with lingering fear as he spoke.
Lei Yu listened silently, his expression grim. In just a few hours, he had established himself as the absolute leader of this rookie group, earning the title Boss Lei from everyone, even those older than him like Lao Wang.
"Let's go. We'll avenge Chen Jun. Lao Wang, lead the way."
Lei Yu's voice was calm but commanding.
"Yes, Boss Lei! Follow me!"
With Lao Wang leading, the group started heading in Qin Feng's direction.
From his hiding spot, Qin Feng had already pieced things together.
It seemed the snake he had killed earlier had devoured the Chen Jun they were talking about.
The group was closing in, and Qin Feng held his breath, crouching low in the bushes to stay hidden. He planned to wait until they left before extracting the snake's corpse.
But just as they passed his hiding spot, a sharp-eyed girl in blue jeans suddenly turned toward him.
"Who's there?!"
The girl's name was Liu Yan, and her face was alert as she stared at the bushes.
As it turned out, she possessed a hearing-related talent. With the distance between them less than ten meters, she had caught the sound of Qin Feng's heartbeat.
Her exclamation startled the group, who all turned toward Qin Feng's hiding place, their expressions guarded.
"Who's there?!"
"Show yourself!"
In this dangerous world, where death lurked at every corner, no one dared to be careless.
Sighing quietly, Qin Feng stood up from the bushes. He wasn't worried. Even if Lei Yu and his team worked together, they were no match for him.
"It's you!"
Liu Yan's voice was tinged with surprise, as though she recognized Qin Feng.
Qin Feng frowned slightly. He didn't remember meeting her.
"You know him?" Lao Wang asked curiously.
Liu Yan froze for a moment, then blushed slightly as she realized something.
Of course, she didn't actually know Qin Feng. She had seen his profile picture and name in the village chat. Among the thousand rookies, most looked plain or worse, but Qin Feng's handsome face had caught her attention.
Being a self-admitted member of the "appearance club," she had taken note of him.
But how could she admit that she remembered him just because he was handsome?
"Uh… I saw his profile in the chat. His name is Qin Feng," Liu Yan explained, trying to sound composed.
She then turned to Qin Feng. "Qin Feng, what are you doing here?"
"Just passing through," Qin Feng replied calmly.
Liu Yan sighed. "This place is really dangerous. Wandering around alone is risky. One of our teammates just got killed recently."
She glanced at Lei Yu before continuing, "Boss Lei, why don't we let Qin Feng join us? It's too dangerous for him to be alone."
Lao Wang nodded in agreement. "Boss Lei, we lost Chen Jun, so we're down a member. Let's have Qin Feng join. It'll strengthen our team."
Hearing this, Lei Yu nodded slightly.
In this world, the strength gap between humans and beasts was significant. Cooperation was essential, and forming groups or factions would become the norm in the future.
Lei Yu knew he needed to expand his influence and recruit more people to solidify his position.
With this in mind, Lei Yu turned to Qin Feng.
"Qin Feng, show us your attributes and talent. As long as they're not too weak, I'll take you in," Lei Yu said in a lofty tone.
Liu Yan looked thrilled. "Qin Feng, show Boss Lei your stats! This is your chance!"
Lao Wang added, "Qin Feng, Boss Lei is a Level 2 powerhouse. Joining us is a great opportunity for you."
The others smiled confidently, certain that Qin Feng would jump at the chance.
But Qin Feng only replied indifferently, "No thanks. I prefer being alone."
With that, he turned and walked away.
The group was stunned.
What?!
Did they hear him right?
He had just refused Lei Yu's offer?
Didn't he know that Lei Yu was not only a Level 2 powerhouse but also had a powerful D-tier talent?
Everyone was baffled.
Lei Yu, too, was momentarily speechless as he watched Qin Feng's retreating figure, a flicker of irritation crossing his face.
"Let's go. No need to force him," Lei Yu said finally, turning to lead the group away.
As they left, murmurs of disbelief rippled through the team.
"What's wrong with him?"
"He must be crazy."
Even Liu Yan stomped her foot in frustration before following the group.
Once the group was far enough away, Qin Feng returned to the snake's corpse.
He had no intention of joining them—it would only expose his abilities and slow down his progress.
Reaching the snake's body, he activated Endless Extraction.
[Endless Extraction successful! You have gained 2 points in Spirit!]
Another boost in Spirit!
Qin Feng smiled in satisfaction.
With the Level 1 beasts in the Rookie Plains nearly all extracted, it was time to move on to find stronger prey.
He set off toward the edge of the plains.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, Lei Yu and his group stumbled upon the scene of Qin Feng's earlier battle.
They froze in shock.
The air was thick with the stench of blood. The snake's corpse lay gutted, its internal organs scattered across the ground. Nearby, Chen Jun's lifeless body was sprawled out.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Finally, Qi Jie, a bespectacled man, broke the silence. "Judging by the dried blood, this snake died earlier than the one we killed."
Qi Jie, who had been a university student and a fan of detective stories in his past life, examined the scene carefully.
"You mean someone killed it faster than we did?" Lei Yu asked.
"Yes." Qi Jie nodded before inspecting the corpse further. After a moment, his expression turned incredulous.
"What is it?" Lei Yu pressed.
"This… was done by one person. The tracks around the scene are from a single individual. And the snake's fatal wound? A single strike to its vitals."
The group gasped in unison.
"A single strike?! That's insane!"
"This snake's scales are so tough. I couldn't even crack them with dozens of hits. And someone cut through in one blow?"
"That's the mark of an expert!"
Lei Yu inhaled sharply. "A one-strike kill… Even at Level 2, I wouldn't dare face a Level 1 beast alone. Could this person be a Level 3 expert?"
Qi Jie adjusted his glasses. "We don't know their level, but one thing is certain: they have the strength of a Level 3 and they're working alone."
"Alone?" Liu Yan suddenly interjected. "Could it be… Qin Feng?"
Qi Jie's eyes lit up. "You know, it might just be!"
The group exchanged stunned looks, each thinking the same thing as they stared at the gutted snake…
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