A Soft Backer

025

Listening to the steady breathing from her arms, Jiang Fu's heart relaxed slightly.

This place was still dangerous.

But holding a soft, warm backing in his arms gave him some confidence.

...Well, even if the backing had fallen asleep.

Her telekinesis had already recovered.

If any danger came up, she should wake up immediately.

Wait, telekinesis?

Wasn't it Spirit Power?

Mm.

It should be something more advanced than Spirit Power.

Once he got back.

He'd check the Martial Artist Forum and find out.

Jiang Fu used Spirit Power to take out his phone and started checking the map.

Soon, he pinpointed his current location and the direction of Bin City.

"The city is to the southeast... This is a hundred and thirty li from the Blank Zone!"

"Right now, I'm terrifyingly fast! Basically a superhuman."

That was still after Jiang Fu had circled around several times without running in a straight line.

Otherwise, the distance would be even greater.

Jiang Fu reached out and adjusted the slightly loose cap on Shi Jiu's head, making sure it wouldn't blow away.

Then, using the phone map's positioning, he chose a route that bypassed that terrifying Valley.

Heading toward Bin City.

Speed multiplied by ten.

Explosive power multiplied by ten.

Jiang Fu moved extremely fast, his body like a blur.

Constantly sweeping across the Wilderness Area.

At the same time, he grew more cautious.

Whenever his Spirit Power detected a Mutated Beast or some special aura.

He immediately changed direction to go around.

At this moment, Jiang Fu was holding his backing in his arms.

But this kind of luck wouldn't last forever.

So he had to gain experience as fast as possible.

...Experience in avoiding Mutated Beasts, experience in being an opportunist.

A qualified opportunist had to know how to perfectly conceal himself.

"Only strike when I'm sure of a one-hit kill."

"Otherwise, stay as far away as possible."

"I'm fast, but there are definitely things faster than me!"

"Like that pack of wolves just now!"

Thinking back to those hundred-plus Silver Moon Wolves, Jiang Fu still felt a lingering fear.

Luckily, his neural reaction speed was fast enough.

He escaped before the wolf pack's encirclement closed in.

Otherwise, once surrounded by the pack, he'd be dead.

Although Tier 2 Silver Moon Wolves weren't as fast as Jiang Fu.

But in the Wilderness Area, there weren't only Tier 2 wolf packs.

There were also Tier 3, Tier 4...

And even more terrifying existences.

Like the monster that crawled out from underground in the Valley he'd named the Terror Valley.

"Silver Moon Wolf!"

Suddenly.

Jiang Fu's expression shifted.

A lone Tier 2 Silver Moon Wolf had appeared within the range of his Spirit Power.

The wolf moved sluggishly.

Blood streamed from its hind leg, and a soft whimper escaped its maw.

Jiang Fu's eyes brightened slightly.

He immediately slowed his pace.

A lone Silver Moon Wolf?

What kind of luck was this?

It was practically a gift from heaven!

Just as the Battle Knife at Jiang Fu's side began to drift slowly—

A massive creature, deep cyan in color with a wingspan exceeding ten meters, suddenly descended from the sky.

Its cyan-gold talons sank viciously into the Silver Moon Wolf's lower back.

A shrill, despairing cry tore from the wolf's throat.

Species: Azure Flame Owl Level: 3 Weaknesses: Throat, underbelly Most valuable parts: Beak, claws, eyes

"So fast!"

Jiang Fu's face changed.

His Spirit Power hadn't even caught where this Azure Flame Owl had come from.

The giant bird was incredibly swift.

It made no sound at all as it flew.

By the time Jiang Fu's Spirit Power detected the Azure Flame Owl, the giant bird's talons had already sunk into the Silver Moon Wolf's flank.

Thankfully—

It wasn't targeting him.

Cold sweat beaded on Jiang Fu's forehead.

The danger of the Wilderness Area far exceeded his imagination!

The next instant—

Just as the Azure Flame Owl spread its wings, preparing to fly off—

A sudden change occurred!

A massive, grayish-yellow figure—

Equally silent, appearing from nowhere—

Sank its jaws into the Azure Flame Owl's neck.

It pinned the giant bird to the ground.

The Azure Flame Owl let out a mournful cry.

Its enormous wings flapped wildly, kicking up fierce gusts of wind.

It struggled to break free from that terrifying maw.

But in the next moment—

Crack! Crack!

The sound of snapping bones rang out.

The Azure Flame Owl's neck was directly bitten through by the colossal creature's fangs.

The Tier 3 Mutated Beast, Azure Flame Owl, went still in an instant.

Species: Blood-Eyed Golden Tiger Level: 3 Weaknesses: Anus, throat, belly Most valuable parts: Every part is a treasure

...Jiang Fu had already made a run for it.

Every part is a treasure?

That's only if you live to take it.

Jiang Fu finally saw it clearly.

That Silver Moon Wolf was never some gift.

It was clearly a trap laid by the Blood-Eyed Golden Tiger!

Gift, trap.

Those two words even looked alike.

And usually, they came together.

"Damn it! Mutated Beasts play mind games now? Acting like sneaky bastards?"

Jiang Fu couldn't help but curse.

It wasn't the strength of a Mutated Beast that scared you—it was when they started playing mind games!

That Blood-Eyed Golden Tiger was practically the sneakiest bastard in the Mutated Beast world!

Right now, the Blood-Eyed Golden Tiger's full attention was on the Azure Flame Owl.

It didn't bother with Jiang Fu, an ant in its eyes.

Jiang Fu sped up, quickly putting distance between himself and that terrifying Blood-Eyed Golden Tiger.

Suddenly.

A murmuring voice, like a sleepy whisper, sounded: "Valuable..."

The nasal tone was heavy, clearly still in a dream.

Jiang Fu: "..."

He instinctively glanced down.

The girl in his arms had a peaceful sleeping face, her eyes not open.

Sure enough.

Even asleep, that soft, reliable backrest could sense what was happening around her.

Jiang Fu didn't reply.

He kept rushing toward Bin City.

As the sun slanted westward.

The number of Mutated Beasts in the Wilderness Area surged sharply.

Jiang Fu dodged, paused, and ran all the way.

Close calls, but no real danger.

Finally, ten minutes later.

He reached the edge of the Blank Zone.

Jiang Fu put away his phone.

And tucked the Battle Knife that had been following him into his backpack.

He didn't stop moving through it all.

He quickly crossed this Blank Zone, which was thirty li in a straight line.

And arrived before the entrance to the safe passage of District Nine.

At this moment.

The sun hung far in the western sky.

The earth was dyed a golden red.

Many Martial Artists gathered from all directions, returning to the city through the safe passage.

"Whoa... that... no, those two are students?"

The blue-and-white school uniform was too eye-catching.

The surrounding Martial Artists saw a boy in a Ninth High School uniform, carrying a girl also in a Ninth High School uniform, walking over from the Blank Zone behind them.

Their attention immediately locked onto the pair.

"Judging by their age, they really are students!"

"Are students this reckless now? Wearing school uniforms and daring to run into the Wilderness Area!"

"Probably a young couple, just became Martial Artists, going to check out the Blank Zone."

"The guy's pretty considerate, carrying the girl the whole way..."

"Youth is great!"

Jiang Fu's face reddened slightly as he instinctively looked down at the support in his arms.

Shi Jiu was already awake.

He was half-lidded, lounging comfortably in Jiang Fu's embrace with a relaxed expression.

"Support... ah, no, Classmate Shi, how's your recovery?"

Shi Jiu yawned lazily and said faintly, "An Abyss Fruit, and you think you can just ditch me like that?"

Jiang Fu quickly replied, "No, no!"

...Actually, this wasn't so bad.

Jiang Fu stopped being coy.

He carried Shi Jiu and quickly entered the safe passage.

On the other side of the passage.

The guard on duty froze for a moment at the sight of Jiang Fu.

"Those two high schoolers actually both came back!"

"No wonder Classmate Jiang Fu rushed out so urgently—he was going after his girlfriend..."

"Lucky! Both standing... ah, well, one standing and one carried back!"

"Wait, that backpack looks familiar..."