Into the zone to harvest a feast

Early the next morning, Chen Chuan checked out of his hotel room and took an airship toward the unexplored region marked on the map.

The journey could take several days. He maintained a certain intensity of training aboard the airship, and in his spare time, he browsed a guide to common creatures of the Convergence Zone.

He had obtained it from the Fighter Council. It described the traits and weaknesses of creatures found deep within the Convergence Zone, particularly which parts of their bodies had nutritional value and what benefits they offered.

But species in the Convergence Zone changed rapidly, and every area was different. Some Fighters could not be bothered to report new species they encountered, so the entries in the guide fell far short of conveying the region's true complexity.

Fortunately, he did not need to understand everything. As a Fighter, he would naturally discover what he needed in the course of hunting.

After three days of flight, Chen Chuan looked down and immediately sensed something utterly unlike the lands of civilization. This was a profound, untamed wilderness that had never been explored, its vastness and grandeur far surpassing the unexplored regions he had visited before.

The creatures in this part of the Convergence Zone were so powerful and vicious that only Fighters could set foot here. Even members of the Old Imperial Household had rarely ventured into it.

He drew a deep breath. To Fighters, however, precisely this sort of territory was the ideal environment for survival. The nutrients these creatures contained could sustain their training and activities. This was their hunting preserve.

An armed crew member approached, saluted him, and reported loudly, "Committee Member Chen, we'll reach the garrison's most distant outpost in another thirty seconds."

Chen Chuan looked over and spotted a stone fortress of