Beiye and Deye talked about it, never drink raw water in the wild

"Hey! You with the axe!"

Cheng Tian's sudden call, after he'd solved his urgent need, made the two college students who had kept their distance tremble slightly.

After successfully witnessing Cheng Tian take down the Red Demon, One-Ear and his companion were astonished by Cheng Tian's combat effectiveness, especially since he should have been a novice like them. At the same time, a hint of fear began to grow.

This was different from when they fought zombies. The decisiveness and brutality Cheng Tian displayed against the Red Demon naturally led them to associate the real-life Cheng Tian with someone who might not be a good person.

What kind of good person turns a demon into a cripple?!

But to have them leave Cheng Tian and advance on their own... they wouldn't dare. They'd probably die without even knowing how.

Words could only teach so much, but actions taught them once and for all. Having personally experienced the dangers of Demon World Village, they had long abandoned any thoughts of playing the hero. Now, all they wanted was to cling to a strong ally.

So, when Cheng Tian didn't move, they simply settled down to rest about ten meters away from him.

"Big Brother! You call!"

One-Ear, feeling the vast difference between himself and Cheng Tian, immediately stood at attention.

"Got anything to eat?"

"We'll go find it!"

While One-Ear was scratching his head at Cheng Tian's sudden request for food, the idiot college student covered in blood scabs directly slung an arm around his roommate's neck, accepting the task without asking why.

After already having done something foolish once, the idiot college student's mind was clearer than ever.

He had thoroughly realized that One-Ear, at least, had some combat ability and was qualified to get some assistance from Cheng Tian. But he himself was just a drag, a useless burden, and the other party had no reason to help him.

If he wanted to cling to a strong ally, he needed to demonstrate value beyond combat. Running errands, carrying things, handling miscellaneous tasks for his "big thigh" – these were all possibilities.

Cheng Tian's current request was a perfect opportunity to showcase his worth.

They truly had no food, but the idiot college student remembered that among the other players who had died, a few had carried satchels and briefcases. There was a high chance of finding food and drink inside.

In just one hour, his mindset had drastically shifted. As long as he could cling to a strong ally and survive, looting bodies was a minor issue.

If they couldn't find anything, they'd have to try searching the surrounding tombstones to see if anyone had left any offerings to steal... He wasn't sure if a medieval-style worldview even had a tradition of leaving food as offerings.

"Wait a moment."

Just as the idiot college student was about to lead One-Ear back the way they came, Cheng Tian suddenly called out to them. When the idiot college student turned around, he saw the baseball bat, which had been flying in a parabolic arc, land not far in front of him.

"Take this. It'll offer some defense."

Cheng Tian said, tossing the Blank Baseball Bat to the idiot college student.

"Okay, Big Brother!"

Blood Scab, who had just stated his position, immediately received a response and was overjoyed.

One-Ear patted Blood Scab's shoulder and then returned the way they came with him.

There was a significant difference between killing zombies and searching for bodies, and the two college students couldn't completely remain unfazed.

Fortunately, some of the bags that the zombies had ignored did contain food. Especially the female student's shoulder bag, which was packed with several kinds of snacks, all high-calorie items like fruit gummies, dried fruit crisps, and nuts.

Cheng Tian, who was treating the two young men as errand boys with a clear conscience, wasn't idle either. He opened the Bronze Treasure Chest that he had been using as a stool.

Naturally, there were no lurking Vampire Magicians inside; it was just an ordinary treasure chest.

As the treasure chest opened, Cheng Tian's wealth, which had been zero, increased by 1500 Chosen Coins. It was clear that this was the universal currency of the space, though he wasn't sure about its purchasing power.

The second drop item was the Red Demon Wings that Cheng Tian had previously cut off, which had been lying nearby. It dropped as a green, excellent-grade craftable material, and Cheng Tian casually stuffed it into an empty slot in his inventory.

Then came the main event.

The third treasure chest reward was 1 Free Skill Point.

Besides completing the Main Quest with high completion and evaluation, killing powerful monsters, completing hidden side quests, and obtaining special treasures also offered a chance to get Free Skill Points.

However, Cheng Tian was clearly more cautious about skill points. Of course, the main reason was that the only skill he currently had that could be upgraded wasn't the type that would undergo a qualitative change with just one skill point, judging by its description.

As the saying goes, "Ride a bicycle to the bar; save where you can, spend where you must." He had already used his Attribute Points and Skill Stones, so he decided to hold onto the Free Skill Point for now and allocate it as needed later.

While the two young men went to find food, Cheng Tian wasn't entirely idle.

Not far from the graveyard exit, a narrow river blocked the only path to the Demon King's Castle. Above the river, there were circulating platforms that seemed to be moved by some special force, resembling floating ice floes.

The river water was clear and the current wasn't strong, but it was definitely deep enough to completely submerge a person.

After just a couple of glances at the river, Cheng Tian unhesitatingly uninstalled his "Vampire Hunter" template.

The reason was the template skill called "Dissolve Upon Entering Water" that came with the template.

[Dissolve Upon Entering Water: Template Skill, Negative Passive Skill. When your entire body is submerged in water deeper than your height, you will immediately be judged as dead.]

Since Cheng Tian's Vampire Hunter template was the "Original Type," it inherited not only Simon's advantages but also his disadvantages.

With that physique, some people might even believe Simon was a vampire...

While Damage Dodge was a bit tricky in practical application and highly dependent on terrain, it was at least nominally a buff. Dissolve Upon Entering Water, however, was a purely negative passive skill with no impurities.

A wise person does not stand under a crumbling wall. Cheng Tian didn't want to gamble on being able to reach the other side of the river via the circulating platforms 100% safely and without any accidents, so he simply uninstalled the template first.

Even if you like to gamble, you have to choose the right occasion, right?

Anyway, he was still wearing the Strawberry Man Underpants, and he could reload the template after just 15 minutes, so uninstalling it was a no-brainer.

By the time Cheng Tian returned to his original spot, his Knight Armor helmet was already brimming with clear river water.

However, even though he was parched, he didn't rush. Cheng Tian first gathered some dry branches and grass from under the surrounding dead trees. He wrapped the embers from the fireball the Red Demon had spat onto the ground before dying in the dry grass, cupped it in his hands, and blew on it. The dry grass quickly ignited, starting a Campfire.

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Next, he exerted some effort to move several broken gravestones to serve as a stove, propping them up in the fire. He then placed the helmet full of river water on top to boil.

Beiye and Deye had taught Cheng Tian more than once that if conditions allowed, water from the wild must be boiled before drinking.

The consequence of drinking raw wild water out of laziness was most likely severe dehydration... and even anal prolapse.